music
/ˈmju.zɪk/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.52 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, timbre, sound design, lyrics, etc., often to convey a mood.
Uncountable
noun
An art form, created by organizing pitch, rhythm, and sounds made using musical instruments and/or singing.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "I keep listening to this music because it’s a masterpiece."
- "Muſick has Charms to ſooth a ſavage Breaſt, / To ſoften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak."
- "Music lessons in early childhood lead to changes in the brain that could improve its performance far into adulthood, researchers say."
- "“Oh! this was very kind,” she said, with that simplicity and tenderness, which at times made her voice pure music, “I could not have expected you so soon.”"
- "Wilson's definite genius for rapid, witty dialogue which becomes a kind of conversational music at times."
- "Again, Moſes was the firſt that brought in ſacred Muſick: thus in like manner Strabo lib. 10. 453. informes us, that the Bacchick Muſick was famous throughout Aſia; and that many muſick Inſtruments had obteined a Barbarick name, as Jambla, Sambuke, Barbitos, Magades, &c. which ſeem all to be of Hebrew origination."
Etymology
From Middle English musik, musike, borrowed from Anglo-Norman musik, musike, Old French musique, and their source Latin mūsica, from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ), from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”), an Ancient Greek deity of the arts. By surface analysis, muse + -ic (“pertaining to”). In this sense, displaced native Old English drēam (“music”), whence Modern English dream. Fully displaced Old English sweġl.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmju.zɪk/
- British English: /ˈmjuːzɪk/
Usage
- Uncountable
- Slang
- American usage
- Dated
- Transitive verb
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Music.
Inflected Forms
musics (plural)
musick (alternative)
musicke (alternative)
musique (alternative)
musike (alternative)
musics (present, singular)
musicking (participle, present)
musicked (participle, past)
musicked (past)
more music (comparative)
most music (superlative)
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
MusicNovatory