Counterpoint

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Counterpoint \Coun"ter*point`\, n. [OF. contrepoincte,
     corruption of earlier counstepointe, countepointe, F.
     courtepointe, fr. L. culcita cushion, mattress (see {Quilt},
     and cf. {Cushion}) + puncta, fem. p. p. of pungere to prick
     (see {Point}). The word properly meant a stitched quilt, with
     the colors broken one into another.]


     A coverlet; a cover for a bed, often stitched or broken into
     squares; a counterpane. See 1st {Counterpane}.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Embroidered coverlets or counterpoints of purple silk.
                                                    --Sir T.
                                                    North.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Counterpoint \Coun"ter*point`\ (koun"t?r-point`), n. [Counter- +
     point.]
     An opposite point [Obs.] --Sir E. Sandys.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Counterpoint \Coun"ter*point`\, n. [F. contrepoint; cf. It.
     contrappunto. Cf. {Contrapuntal}.] (Mus.)
     (a) The setting of note against note in harmony; the adding
         of one or more parts to a given {canto fermo} or melody.
     (b) The art of polyphony, or composite melody, i. e., melody
         not single, but moving attended by one or more related
         melodies.
     (c) Music in parts; part writing; harmony; polyphonic music.
         See {Polyphony}.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               Counterpoint, an invention equivalent to a new
               creation of music.                   --Whewell.
         [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  counterpoint
       n : a musical form involving the simultaneous sound of two or
           more melodies
       v 1: to show differences when compared; be different; "the
            students contrast considerably in their artistic
            abilities" [syn: {contrast}]
       2: write in counterpoint; "Bach perfected the art of
          counterpointing"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  108 Moby Thesaurus words for "counterpoint":
     Alexandrine, Ambrosian chant, accent, accentuation, amphibrach,
     amphimacer, anacrusis, anapest, antipode, antipodes, antipole,
     antispast, antithesis, antonym, arsis, bacchius, beat, cadence,
     caesura, catalexis, chloriamb, chloriambus, colon, contra,
     contrapunto, converse, counter, counterbalance, countercheck,
     counterpoise, counterpole, counterterm, cretic, dactyl,
     dactylic hexameter, diaeresis, dimeter, dipody, dochmiac, elegiac,
     elegiac couplet, elegiac pentameter, emphasis, epitrite,
     false music, faux-bourdon, feminine caesura, foil, foot,
     heptameter, heptapody, heroic couplet, hexameter, hexapody, iamb,
     iambic, iambic pentameter, ictus, inverse, ionic, jingle, lilt,
     masculine caesura, measure, meter, metrical accent, metrical foot,
     metrical group, metrical unit, metron, molossus, mora, movement,
     musica ficta, numbers, obverse, offset, opposite, opposite number,
     paeon, pentameter, pentapody, period, polyphonism, polyphony,
     proceleusmatic, pyrrhic, quantity, reverse, rhythm, setoff,
     spondee, sprung rhythm, stress, swing, syzygy, tetrameter,
     tetrapody, tetraseme, the contrary, the other side, thesis,
     tribrach, trimeter, tripody, triseme, trochee, vis-a-vis