MUSIC


Meaning of MUSIC in English

I. ˈmyüzik, -zēk noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English musik, from Old French musique, from Latin musica, from Greek mousikē, any art presided over by the Muses, especially music, from feminine of mousikos of the Muses, musical, from Mousa Muse + -ikos -ic — more at muse

1.

a. : the science or art of incorporating pleasing, expressive, or intelligible combinations of vocal or instrumental tones into a composition having definite structure and continuity

music as … a combination of rhythm, melody, harmony, and counterpoint, has existed less than a thousand years — Deems Taylor

b. : vocal or instrumental sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony

music of a choir

music of a hurdy-gurdy

2.

a. : an agreeable sound that is likened to a musical composition : euphony

music of the nightingale

the morning on the water has sharpened our appetites, and the sizzling and spluttering below is music in our ears — T.C.Roughley

specifically : the cry of hounds at sight of the game

b. : an unpleasant medley of sound : racket , din

the stairwell echoed the music of clashing swords

especially : a reprimand or legal prosecution for a misdeed

urged the hunted man to give himself up and face the music

c. : a quality of expression or movement characterized by tonal harmony or rhythmical grace

to him two blending thoughts give a music perceptible as two blending notes of a lute — Ezra Pound

the music of lovingly orchestrated words — Saturday Review

a purely abstract language of form — a visual music — Roger Fry

women with 107 waists of agile music — Dudley Fitts

d. : spiritual impulse or animation

that sad and universal music which stirs when we look back upon our youth — V.S.Pritchett

the music of her own happiness — Helen Howe

the sweet music of free institutions — A.E.Stevenson †1965

3.

a. obsolete : a piece of music composed or performed

I have assailed her with musics — Shakespeare

b. : a musical accompaniment

a play set to music

4.

a. : a musical ensemble — now used chiefly of a military band

another field music , equipped with drums, cymbals, horns … played with great abandon — G.S.Patton

b. chiefly dialect : a musical instrument

fetch your music into the house — Vance Randolph & G.P.Wilson

5.

a. : the score of a musical composition set down on paper

leafed through the music

b. : a recorded performance of a musical composition

stacked the hi-fi with soft music

II. verb

( musicked ; musicked ; musicking ; musics )

intransitive verb

: to compose or perform music

the man could talk in Latin, music , mime — J.C.Ransom

transitive verb

1. archaic : to instruct in music

2. : to express in or set to music

musics every jingle and clash and call — John Collier b.1901

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.