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 Meaning of COUNTERPOINT
| Pronunciation: |  | 'kawntur`poynt 
 
 |  |  WordNet Dictionary |  |  |  |  | Definition: |  | 
[n]  a musical form involving the simultaneous sound of two or more melodies  [v]  write in counterpoint  [v]  to show differences when compared; be different; "the students contrast considerably in their artistic abilities"   |  |  |  |  | Websites: |  |  |  |  |  |  | Synonyms: |  | contrast |  |  |  |  | See Also: |  | compose, concerted music, conflict, counterbalance, differ, foil, oppose, polyphonic music, polyphony, turn the scales, write |  |     |  |  Products Dictionary |  |  |  |  | Definition: |  | CounterpointCounterpoint
 more details ... |  |  |  |  Webster's 1913 Dictionary |  |  |  |  | Definition: |  | 
\Coun"ter*point`\ (koun"t?r-point`), n. [Counter- +
point.]
An opposite point [Obs.] --Sir E. Sandys.
\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}.
          Counterpoint, an invention equivalent to a new
          creation of music.                   --Whewell.
\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}.
      Embroidered coverlets or counterpoints of purple silk.
                                               --Sir T.
                                               North.
 |  |  |  |  Thesaurus Terms |  |  |  |  | Related Terms: |  | accent, accentuation, Alexandrine, Ambrosian chant, 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 |  |  |  |     |    |  |