[ 'keɪd(ə)ns ]
■ noun
1》 a modulation or inflection of the voice.
2》 Music a sequence of notes or chords comprising the close of a musical phrase.
3》 rhythm.
Derivatives
~d adjective
Word History
Cadence entered Middle English from Italian cadenza , in the sense 'the rhythm and flow of music or verse'. With its connotations of sweet music, it is an unlikely relative of the word cadaver . However, both come ultimately from the same Latin verb, cadere , meaning 'to fall': the shared notion is that of the voice or a note 'falling' and of the body 'fallen' in death. Several other words, similarly wide-ranging in meaning, also have their origin in cadere , including accident , cadenza , case 1 , chance , chute , and decay .