English words and phrases

pitch, timbre, intonation, tone.

scale, gamut; diapason; diatonic chromatic scale^†, enharmonic scale^†; key, clef, chords.

modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution.

staff, stave, line, space, brace; bar, rest; appoggiato^†, appoggiatura^†; acciaccatura^†.

note, musical note, notes of a scale; sharp, flat, natural; high note &c (shrillness) 410; low note &c 408; interval; semitone; second, third, fourth &c; diatessaron^†.

breve, semibreve [Mus.], minim, crotchet, quaver; semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver; sustained note, drone, burden.

tonic; key note, leading note, fundamental note; supertonic^†, mediant^†, dominant; submediant^†, subdominant^†; octave, tetrachord^†; major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode; passage, phrase.

concord, harmony; emmeleia^†; unison, unisonance^†; chime, homophony; euphony, euphonism^†; tonality; consonance; consent; part.

[Science of harmony] harmony, harmonics; thorough-bass, fundamental-bass; counterpoint; faburden^†.

piece of music &c 415 [Fr.]; composer, harmonist^†, contrapuntist (musician) 416.

measured, rhythmical, diatonic^†, chromatic, enharmonic^†.

melodious, musical; melic^†; tuneful, tunable; sweet, dulcet, canorous^†; mellow, mellifluous; soft, clear, clear as a bell; silvery; euphonious, euphonic, euphonical^†; symphonious; enchanting &c (pleasure-giving) 829; fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned.

Adv. harmoniously, in harmony; as one &c adj..

Phr. the hidden soul of harmony [Milton].
414. Discord -- N. discord, discordance; dissonance, cacophony, want of harmony, caterwauling; harshness &c 410.

[Confused sounds], Babel, Dutch concert, cat's concert; marrowbones and cleavers.

V. be discordant &c adj.; jar &c (sound harshly) 410.

Adj. discordant; dissonant, absonant^†; out of tune, tuneless; unmusical, untunable^†; unmelodious, immelodious^†; unharmonious^†, inharmonious; singsong; cacophonous; harsh &c 410; jarring.
415. Music -- N. music; concert; strain, tune, air; melody &c 413; aria, arietta^†; piece of music [Fr.], work, number, opus; sonata; rondo, rondeau [Fr.]; pastorale, cavatina^†, roulade^†, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza; cadence; fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno [It], dithyramb; opera, operetta; oratorio; composition, movement; stave; passamezzo [It], toccata, Vorspiel [G.].

instrumental music; full score; minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra; concerted piece [Fr.], potpourri, capriccio.

vocal music, vocalism^†; chaunt, chant; psalm, psalmody; hymn; song &c (poem) 597; canticle, canzonet^†, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo^†, solfeggio^†.

Lydian measures; slow music, slow movement; adagio &c adv.; minuet; siren strains, soft music, lullaby; dump; dirge &c (lament) 839; pibroch^†; martial music, march; dance music; waltz &c (dance) 840.

solo, duet, duo, trio; quartet, quartett^†; septett^†; part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale; antiphon^†, antiphony; accompaniment, second, bass; score; bourdon^†, drone, morceau^†, terzetto^†.

composer &c 413; musician &c 416.

band, orchestral waits.

vocalist, melodist; singer, warbler; songster, chaunter^†, chauntress^†, songstress; cantatrice^†.

choir, quire, chorister; chorus, chorus singer; liedertafel [G.].

nightingale, philomel^†, thrush; siren; bulbul, mavis; Pierides; sacred nine; Orpheus, Apollo^†, the Muses Erato, Euterpe, Terpsichore; tuneful nine, tuneful quire.

composer &c 413.

performance, execution, touch, expression, solmization^†.

V. play, pipe, strike up, sweep the chords, tweedle, fiddle; strike the lyre, beat the drum; blow the horn, sound the horn, wind the horn; doodle; grind the organ; touch the guitar &c (instruments) 417; thrum, strum, beat time.

execute, perform; accompany; sing a second, play a second; compose, set to music, arrange.

sing, chaunt, chant, hum, warble, carol, chirp, chirrup, lilt, purl, quaver, trill, shake, twitter, whistle; sol-fa^†; intone.

have an ear for music, have a musical ear, have a correct ear.

viol, violin, fiddle, kit; viola, viola d'amore [Fr.], viola di gamba [It]; tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass; bass viol, base viol; theorbo^†, double base, contrabasso^†, violone^†, psaltery [Slang]; bow, fiddlestick^†.

piano, pianoforte; harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord^†, manichord^†; clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle^†, pianino^†, Eolian harp.

[Wind instruments]; organ, harmonium, harmoniphon^†; American organ^†, barrel organ, hand organ; accordion, seraphina^†, concertina; humming top.

flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet; clarinet, claronet^†; basset horn, corno di bassetto [It], oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais [Fr.], corno Inglese^†, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto^†, serpent, bass clarinet; bagpipes, union pipes; musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes; reed instrument; sirene^†, pipe, pitch-pipe; sourdet^†; whistle, catcall; doodlesack^†, harmoniphone^†.

horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean^†, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide^†; French horn, saxophone, sax [Slang], buglehorn^†, saxhorn, flugelhorn^†, althorn^†, helicanhorn^†, posthorn^†; sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba^†.

[Vibrating surfaces] cymbal, bell, gong; tambour^†, tambourine, tamborine^†; drum, tom-tom; tabor, tabret^†, tabourine^†, taborin^†; side drum, kettle drum; timpani, tympani^†; tymbal^†, timbrel^†, castanet, bones; musical glasses, musical stones; harmonica, sounding-board, rattle; tam-tam, zambomba^†.

[Vibrating bars] reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon^†, xylophone.

sordine^†, sordet^†; sourdine^†, sourdet^†; mute.

acute ear, nice ear, delicate ear, quick ear, sharp ear, correct ear, musical ear; ear for music.

ear, auricle, lug, acoustic organs, auditory apparatus; eardrum, tympanum, tympanic membrane.

[devices to aid human hearing by amplifying sound] ear trumpet, speaking trumpet, hearing aid, stethoscope.

[distance within which direct hearing is possible] earshot, hearing distance, hearing, hearing range, sound, carrying distance.

[devices for talking beyond hearing distance: list] telephone, phone, telephone booth, intercom, house phone, radiotelephone, radiophone, wireless, wireless telephone, mobile telephone, car radio, police radio, two-way radio, walkie-talkie [Mil.], handie-talkie, citizen's band, CB, amateur radio, ham radio, short-wave radio, police band, ship-to-shore radio, airplane radio, control tower communication; (communication) 525, 527, 529, 531, 532; electronic devices [devices for recording and reproducing recorded sound], phonograph, gramophone, megaphone, phonorganon^†.

[device to convert sound to electrical signals] microphone, directional microphone, mike, hand mike, lapel microphone.

[devices to convert recorded sound to electronic signals] phonograph needle, stylus, diamond stylus, pickup; reading head (electronic devices).

hearer, auditor, listener, eavesdropper, listener-in.

auditory, audience.

[science of hearing] otology, otorhinolaryngology.

[physicians specializing in hearing] otologist, otorhinolaryngologist.

V. hear, overhear; hark, harken; list, listen, pay attention, take heed; give an ear, lend an ear, bend an ear; catch, catch a sound, prick up one's ears; give ear, give a hearing, give audience to.

hang upon the lips of, be all ears, listen with both ears.

become audible; meet the ear, fall upon the ear, catch the ear, reach the ear; be heard; ring in the ear &c (resound) 408.

Adj. hearing &c v.; auditory, auricular, acoustic; phonic.

Adv. arrectis auribus [Lat.].

Int. hark, hark ye!, hear!, list, listen!, O yes!, Oyez!, listen up [Coll.]; listen here!, hear ye!, attention!, achtung [G.].
419. Deafness -- N. deafness, hardness of hearing, surdity^†; inaudibility, inaudibleness^†.

V. be deaf &c adj.; have no ear; shut one's ears, stop one's ears, close one's ears; turn a deaf ear to.

render deaf, stun, deafen.

inaudible, out of hearing.

day; sunshine; light of day, light of heaven; moonlight, starlight, sunlight &c (luminary) 432; daylight, broad daylight, noontide light; noontide, noonday, noonday sun.

glow &c v.; glimmering &c v.; glint; play of light, flood of light; phosphorescence, lambent flame.

flush, halo, glory, nimbus, aureola.

spark, scintilla; facula; sparkling &c v.; emication^†, scintillation, flash, blaze, coruscation, fulguration^†; flame &c (fire) 382; lightning, levin^†, ignis fatuus [Lat.], &c (luminary) 423.

luster, sheen, shimmer, reflexion [Brit.], reflection; gloss, tinsel, spangle, brightness, brilliancy, splendor; effulgence, refulgence; fulgor^†, fulgidity^†; dazzlement^†, resplendence, transplendency^†; luminousness &c adj.; luminosity; lucidity; renitency^†, nitency^†; radiance, radiation; irradiation, illumination.

actinic rays, actinism; Roentgen-ray, Xray; photography, heliography; photometer &c 445.

[Science of light] optics; photology^†, photometry; dioptrics^†, catoptrics^†.

[Distribution of light] chiaroscuro, clairobscur^†, clear obscure, breadth, light and shade, black and white, tonality.

reflection, refraction, dispersion; refractivity.

clear up, brighten.

lighten, enlighten; levin^†; light, light up; irradiate, shine upon; give out a light, hang out a light; cast light upon, cast light in, throw light upon, throw light in, shed light upon, shed luster upon; illume^†, illumine, illuminate; relume^†, strike a light; kindle &c (set fire to) 384.

Adj. shining &c v.; luminous, luminiferous^†; lucid, lucent, luculent^†, lucific^†, luciferous; light, lightsome; bright, vivid, splendent^†, nitid^†, lustrous, shiny, beamy^†, scintillant^†, radiant, lambent; sheen, sheeny; glossy, burnished, glassy, sunny, orient, meridian; noonday, tide; cloudless, clear; unclouded, unobscured^†.

gairish^†, garish; resplendent, transplendent^†; refulgent, effulgent; fulgid^†, fulgent^†; relucent^†, splendid, blazing, in a blaze, ablaze, rutilant^†, meteoric, phosphorescent; aglow.

bright as silver; light as day, bright as day, light as noonday, bright as noonday, bright as the sun at noonday.

actinic; photogenic, graphic; heliographic; heliophagous^†.

Cimmerian darkness^†, Stygian darkness, Egyptian darkness; night; midnight; dead of night, witching hour of night, witching time of night; blind man's holiday; darkness visible, darkness that can be felt; palpable obscure; Erebus [Lat.]; the jaws of darkness [Midsummer Night's Dream]; sablevested night [Milton].

shade, shadow, umbra, penumbra; sciagraphy^†.

obscuration; occultation, adumbration, obumbration^†; obtenebration^†, offuscation^†, caligation^†; extinction; eclipse, total eclipse; gathering of the clouds.

shading; distribution of shade; chiaroscuro &c (light) 420.

noctivagation^†.

extinguish; put out, blow out, snuff out; doubt.

turn out the lights, douse the lights, dim the lights, turn off the lights, switch off the lights.

Adj. dark, darksome^†, darkling; obscure, tenebrious^†, sombrous^†, pitch dark, pitchy, pitch black; caliginous^†; black &c (in color) 431.

sunless, lightless &c (sun) (light), &c 423; somber, dusky; unilluminated &c (illuminate) &c 420 [Obs.]; nocturnal; dingy, lurid, gloomy; murky, murksome^†; shady, umbrageous; overcast &c (dim) 422; cloudy &c (opaque) 426; darkened; &c v.. dark as pitch, dark as a pit, dark as Erebus [Lat.].

benighted; noctivagant^†, noctivagous^†.

Adv. in the dark, in the shade.

Phr. brief as the lightning in the collied night [M.

N.

D.]; eldest Night and Chaos, ancestors of Nature [Paradise Lost]; the blackness of the noonday night [Longfellow]; the prayer of Ajax was for light [Longfellow].

half light, demi-jour; partial shadow, partial eclipse; shadow of a shade; glimmer, gliming^†; nebulosity; cloud &c 353; eclipse.

aurora, dusk, twilight, shades of evening, crepuscule, cockshut time^†; break of day, daybreak, dawn.

moonlight, moonbeam, moonglade^†, moonshine; starlight, owl's light, candlelight, rushlight, firelight; farthing candle.

render dim &c adj.; dim, bedim^†, obscure; darken, tone down.

faint, shadowed forth; glassy; cloudy; misty &c (opaque) 426; blear; muggy^†, fuliginous^†; nebulous, nebular; obnubilated^†, overcast, crepuscular, muddy, lurid, leaden, dun, dirty; looming &c v.. pale &c (colorless) 429; confused &c (invisible) 447.

spark, scintilla; phosphorescence, fluorescence.

sun, orb of day, Phoebus, Apollo^†, Aurora; star, orb; meteor, falling star, shooting star; blazing star, dog star, Sirius; canicula, Aldebaran^†; constellation, galaxy; zodiacal light; anthelion^†; day star, morning star; Lucifer; mock sun, parhelion; phosphor, phosphorus; sun dog^†; Venus.

aurora, polar lights; northern lights, aurora borealis; southern lights, aurora australis.

lightning; chain lightning, fork lightning, sheet lightning, summer lightning; ball lightning, kugelblitz [G.]; [chemical substances giving off light without burning] phosphorus, yellow phosphorus; scintillator, phosphor; firefly luminescence.

ignis fatuus [Lat.]; Jack o'lantern, Friar's lantern; will-o'-the-wisp, firedrake^†, Fata Morgana [Lat.]; Saint Elmo's fire.

firework, fizgig^†; pyrotechnics; rocket, lighthouse &c (signal) 550.

of clouds.

umbrage, glade; shadow &c 421.

beach umbrella, folding umbrella.

transparent medium, glass, crystal, lymph, vitrite^†, water.

smoky, fumid^†, murky, dirty.