Dictionary — ontologydriven

descant en · NOUN

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio
/ˈdɛskænt/ (UK)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman descaunt, from Medieval Latin discantus. Doublet of discant.

Meanings

A lengthy discourse on a subject.
- Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant! 1828, Thomas De Quincey, “Elements of Rhetoric”, in Blackwood's Magazine:
A counterpoint melody sung or played above the theme.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
descants	Number=Plur		lexicographic
discant		alternative, archaic	lexicographic

Deriveds

descantist · descant recorder

Translations (2)

fr déchant (counterpoint melody) · de Diskant (counterpoint melody)

descant en · VERB

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio
/ˈdɛskænt/ (UK)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman descaunt, from Medieval Latin discantus. Doublet of discant.

Meanings

(intransitive) To discuss at length.
- Involving some interesting, intellectual trips, she was descanting lightly to right and left. 1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, page 121
- This is a surprise attack, and I'd no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. I am sure, Lord Stranleigh, that he has been descanting on the distraction of the woods and the camp, or perhaps the metropolitan dissipation of Philadelphia, […] 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
- […] Samballat gaue his daughter Nicaſo to Manaſſes, the brother of Iaddus the High Prieſt, in the time of Darius the laſt Perſian Monarch. This Nehemia mentioneth, but deigneth not to name him, affirming that he chaſed him from him, of vvhich ſome deſcant vvhether it vvere by exile, or excommunication, or ſome other puniſhment. 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of the Samaritans.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book II [Of the Hebrew Nation and Religion from the Beginning thereof to Our Time], page 130:
- [B]ut shun the establishment of a bachelor who has hung a pendulum between temptation and prudence till the age of———but of all subjects, age is the one on which it is most invidious to descant. 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIV, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 128–129:
(intransitive) To sing or play a descant.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
discant		alternative, archaic	lexicographic
descanted	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
descanted	Tense=Past		lexicographic
descanting	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
descants	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic

Deriveds

descanter

Translations (1)

fr déchanter (to sing or play a descant)