| 释义 |
▪ I. music, n.|ˈmjuːzɪk|
Forms: 3–5 musik, 3–6 musike, 4 musyce, musiqe, 4–6 musyk(e, 4–7 musique, 5 musy(c)que, -icque, 6 musyck, Sc. mwseik, 6–7 musick(e, 7 musiq, 5– music.
[a. F. musique (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. mūsica, ad. Gr. µουσική (sc. τέχνη) lit. ‘the art of the Muse’ (fem. of µουσικός pertaining to the Muse or Muses, f. µοῦσα muse n.1), applied gen. to artistic culture, poetry, etc., but also spec. to music.
Cf. Pr. muzica, Sp. música, Pg., It. musica; also G. musik (MHG. museke, OHG. musica), Du. muziek, Da., Sw. musik.]
1. That one of the fine arts which is concerned with the combination of sounds with a view to beauty of form and the expression of emotion; also, the science of the laws or principles (of melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.) by which this art is regulated.
Considered as an art, music has two distinct branches, the art of the composer and that of the executant. The word is often used with special reference to the executive branch, and to instrumental execution rather than vocal; thus, the designation of ‘a teacher of music’ is usually apprehended to mean one who teaches the art of playing on some instrument.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 460 Wit of musike, wel he knew. 1390Gower Conf. III. 90 The science of Musique, That techeth upon Armonie A man to make melodie. 1481Caxton Myrr. i. xii. 37 Of this science of musyque cometh alle attemperaunce. 1570Dee Math. Pref. d iij, An Architect (sayth he [sc. Vitruvius]) ought to..haue heard Philosophers, haue skill of Musike, not ignorant of Physike [etc.]. 1638Burgh Rec. Glasgow (1876) I. 388 That na maner of persone sould be permittit to teitch musik within this burgh..except [etc.]. 1711Addison Spect. No. 29 ⁋13 Musick, Architecture, and Painting..are to deduce their Laws and Rules from the general Sense and Taste of Mankind. 1827Whately Logic i. (ed. 2) 18 There must have been..musical compositions previous to the science of Music. 1884Macfarren in Encycl. Brit. XVII. 77/1 Music..is that one of the fine arts which appropriates the phenomena of sound to the purposes of poetry.
personified.c1374Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. i. 31 (Camb. MS.) And with rethorice com forth Musyce A damysel of oure hous. 1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xviii. (Percy Soc.) 77 Than forth so went good Counsell and I,..By Musykes toure walked most goodly. 1747Collins Passions 1 When Music, Heav'nly Maid, was young.
2. a. Sounds in melodic or harmonic combination, whether produced by voice or instruments. † in (good, true) music: in tune.
† broken music: see broken ppl. a. 16. music of the spheres: see sphere.
c1381Chaucer Parl. Foules 62 The melodye herde he That comyth of thilke speris thryes thre That welle is of musik. 1390Gower Conf. I. 58 In wommanysshe vois thei singe, With notes..of such musike, Wherof the Schipes thei beswike. c1400Destr. Troy 13277 The myrthe of þaire mowthes musyk was like. 1471Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) II. 536 That made grete feste of theyr comyng in many manyers of Instrumentis of musycque. a1500Flower & Leaf 132 The Armony And sweet accord was in so good musyk, That the voice to angels most was lyk. a1535Frere & Boye 98 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 65 A pype thou shalte haue also, In true musyke it shall go. 1588Byrd Ps., Sonn. & Songs Pref. note, There is not any Musicke of Instruments whatsoeuer, comparable to that which is made of the voyces of Men. 1591Shakes. Two Gent. iv. ii. 31 Now must we to her window, And giue some euening Musique to her eare. 1611A. Stafford Niobe 113 Thou deseruest a Quire of ancient Bardi to sing thy praises; who, with their musickes melody, might expresse thy soules harmonie. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 308 With their voyces and cimbals, they make pleasant musicke. 1629Milton Hymn Nativ. xii. 117 Such Musick (as 'tis said) Before was never made. 1643Evelyn Diary 24 Dec., I was entertain'd with the church musiq. 1697Congreve Mourn. Bride i. i, Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast. 1769Gray Installation Ode 63 Sweet music's melting fall. 1886C. E. Pascoe London of To-day xi. (ed. 3) 112 The music of the military and other bands is unusually excellent.
b. transf. Applied, e.g., to the song of birds, the murmur of running water, the euphony of spoken words, etc., spec. the cry of hounds on seeing the chase. Also in ironical collocations.
1590Spenser F.Q. ii. vi. 25 She, more sweete then any bird on bough, Would..strive to passe..Their native musicke by her skilful art. 1593G. Fletcher Licia Sonn. xiv, My love lay sleeping, where birdes musicke made. 1617Moryson Itin. iii. 28 Clashing of swords was then daily musicke in every street. 1653Walton Angler i. 12 What music doth a pack of dogs then make. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 225 With that another Volley of great and small Shot: When this Musick had lasted about an Hour, they [etc.]. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 88 ⁋7 Milton, whose ear had been accustomed..to the music of the ancient tongues. 1808Skurray Bidcombe Hill 9 The cheerful music of the opening hounds. 1836W. Irving Astoria III. 25 Musquitoes, which, with their stings and their music, set all sleep at defiance. 1858R. S. Surtees Ask Mamma xxxviii, The music of the hounds.
c. fig. in various applications, esp. something which it is a delight to hear. † to step music, to step with rhythmical grace.
a1586Sidney Arcadia ii. (1629) 166 What Histories might euer make my fame yeeld so sweet a Musick to my eares..as that [etc.]? 1590Shakes. Com. Err. ii. ii. 116 The time was once, when thou vn-vrg'd wouldst vow, That neuer words were musicke to thine eare,..Vnlesse I spake..to thee. 1611― Wint. T. iv. iv. 529 It is my Fathers Musicke To speake your deeds. a1668Davenant Fair Favorite v. i, I shall now be kil'd, Even with the musick of her voice. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 152 The performers stepped music, their action was grace. 1813Byron Br. Abydos i. vi, The mind, the Music breathing from her face. 1850Tennyson In Mem. xcvi, Perplext in faith, but pure in deeds, At last he beat his music out.
d. A kind of music. lit. and fig.
1584D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 191 The second sort of them are plaiers vpon instruments, cheefelie the Harpe and the Crowth: whose musike for the most part came to Wales with the said Gruffyth ap Conan. 1664Pepys Diary 5 Oct., After three hours' stay it [the ‘arched viall’] could not be fixed in tune: and so they were fain to go to some other musique of instruments. 1799Wordsw. Poet's Epitaph 40 He murmurs near the running brooks A music sweeter than their own. 1822Beddoes Bride's Trag ii. i, That is Love: 'Tis he that acts the nightingale, the thrush, And all the living musics. 1866Ruskin Eth. Dust iv. (1883) 60 All one's life is a music, if one touches the notes rightly and in time. 1883Stevenson Silverado Sq. (1886) 22 The stirring sunlight, and the growing vines..made a pleasant music for the mind.
3. Sounds in melodic or harmonic combination as devised by a composer; musical composition. to set to music: to provide (a poem, etc.) with music to which it may be sung.
1607T. Hume (title) Captain Humes Poeticall Musicke principally made for two basse-viols. 1697Motteux (title) The Loves of Mars and Venus. A Play set to Music. 1711Addison Spect. No. 18 ⁋2 That nothing is capable of being well set to Musick, that is not Nonsense. 1762Colman Mus. Lady i. 15 (Stage-direction), Tunes the instrument, and turns over several pieces of music. 1763J. Brown Poetry & Mus. xiii. 223 If the Poet select and adapt proper Music to his Poem. 1898Shuttleworth in Daily News 19 Nov. 6/3 The words attached to the music cannot make it sacred or profane.
†4. A piece of music composed or performed.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. (1629) 247 Musickes at her window, and especially such Musickes, as might..call the mind to thinke of sorrow, and think of it with sweetnesse. 1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. x. (Arb.) 96 Vnlesse it be in small and popular Musickes song by these Cantabanqui vpon benches and barrels heads. 1611Shakes. Cymb. ii. iii. 44, I haue assayl'd her with Musickes, but she vouchsafes no notice. 1668Shadwell Sullen Lovers ii. Wks. 1720 I. 43, I came to present my Lady Vaine with a musick I have made. 1674Playford's Skill Mus. 46 Exclamations may be used in all Passionate Musicks.
5. A company of musicians; the company of musicians attached to a military force; a ‘band of music’ (see band n.2 4). [Cf. F. musique.] Obs. exc. in military use.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. (1629) 235 The musick entring alone into the Lodge, the Ladies were all desirous to see from whence so pleasant a guest was come. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 211 Play musicke then: nay you must doe it soone. Ibid. 216 The musick playes, vouchsafe some motion to it. 1633Marmion Antiquary ii. i, Julia, go throw the Music a reward. 1666Pepys Diary 19 Dec., He says many of the musique are ready to starve, they being five years behind hand for their wages. 1711–12Swift Jrnl. to Stella 8 Feb., A scoundrel dog, one of the Queen's music, a German. 1770Ann. Reg. 102 The music of the chapel performed several Italian airs. 1847Infantry Man. (1854) 75 The drummers and music are in the rear.
†6. Musical instruments. Obs.
1644Evelyn Diary 1 Apr., Here also young gentlemen are taught to fence, daunce, play on musiq [etc.]. 1661Ogilby His Majesty's Entertainm. 16 On the East-side, Winde-Musick. 1752W. & J. Halfpenny Rur. Archit. in Chinese Taste i. 6 A Room, wherein Musicians may be secreted (and play on soft Musick to the agreeable Surprize of Strangers). a1800S. Pegge Anecd. Eng. Lang. (1814) 147 A fond Mother..will exultingly tell you that Miss ‘learned herself to play upon the Musick’. 1816Keats To C. C. Clarke 113 What time you were before the music sitting, And the rich notes to each sensation fitting.
7. The written or printed score of a musical composition; such scores collectively; musical composition as represented by the usual graphic symbols.
1655(title) Parthenia, or the Mayden-head of the First Musick that ever was Printed for the Virginals. 1884Encycl. Brit. XVII. 87/2 Schütz wrote music to a translation of Peri's Dafne. 1886Gresswell How to play Fiddle 70 The music must be placed on a stand, so that it can be seen without stooping. 1895Westm. Gaz. 31 Dec. 3/2 We alone..print over a ton weight of music week by week.
†8. pl. The short keys (now black) on the keyboard of an organ. Obs.
1694W. Holder Harmony 156 The Breves representing the Tones of the broad Gradual Keys of an Organ; the Semibreves representing the Narrow Upper Keys, which are usually called Musics.
9. A species of noctuid moth.[? From the resemblance of its markings to written music.] 1832J. Rennie Conspect. Butterfl. & M. 65 The Music (Xylophasia lithoxylea, Stephens).
10. U.S. colloq.
a. ‘Lively speech or action; liveliness; excited wrangling, excitement’.
b. ‘Diversion; sport; also, sense of the ridiculous. In this sense apparently confused with amuse’ (Cent. Dict. 1890). Cf. musical 8.
1859Bartlett Dict. Amer., Music, amusement, fun. ‘Jim is a right clever fellow; there is a great deal of music in him.’ 18..Lett. fr. the South in Schele de Vere Americanisms (1872) 618 Jake is not without his vein of fun, music they call it down here.
11. Phrases (slang or colloq.). † to make ill music, † the music's paid (see quot. a 1700); to face the music, to face boldly the consequences of one's actions; to accept the inevitable without hesitation; music while you work: continuous light music played to workers, esp. in factories; to make (beautiful) music (together): to have sexual intercourse.
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Musick. It makes ill Musick, of any unwelcome.. News... The Musick's paid, the Watch-word among High-way-men, to let the Company they were to Rob, alone, in return to some Courtesy. 1850Congress. Globe App. 4 Mar. 324/3 There should be no skulking or dodging..every man should ‘face the music’. a1851J. F. Cooper in Schele de Vere Americanisms (1872) 601 Rabelais' unpleasant ‘quarter’ is by our more picturesque people called facing the music. 1857Worcester (Mass.) Spy 22 Sept. (Bartlett) A strong determination to face the music is everywhere manifested. 1897Rhodes in Westm. Gaz. 6 Jan. 5/1, I will not refer to the vulgar colloquialism that I was afraid to face the music. 1920R. Macaulay Potterism iii. viii. 140 If Gideon didn't shove him, he's nothing to be afraid of in our talk, and if he did he'll have to face the music. 1940Radio Times 21 June 3/2 This coming week there will be, twice every day, half-an-hour's music meant specially for factory-workers..under the title ‘Music while you work’. 1958J. Betjeman Coll. Poems 227 Though ‘Music while you work’ is now our wont, It's not so nice as ‘Music while you don't’. 1958‘J. Byrom’ Or be he Dead xv. 186 So the old bitch did recognize me! Mrs Kernan and I were pretty sure she had. That's why we did a bunk so hastily, leaving Byron to face the bill and the music. 1960R. Pound Selfridge ii. 40 One of the first applications of the music-while-you-work incentive to modern labour. 1967F. Mullally Prizewinner vii. 117 He could say good-bye to any hope of making music later on with the Swede. 1968S. E. Ellacott Everyday Things in England 1914–68 xi. 162 The factory system of ‘music while you work’..was introduced during the Second World War..in munitions factories. In mechanical, repetitive jobs lively music helped production. 1969H. Nielsen Darkest Hour xxi. 238 You and Buddy can make beautiful music together. 1972C. Short Naked Skier xxi. 115, I think we should make music together.
12. Flexibility or ‘give’ in the shaft of a golf club. rare.
1890H. G. Hutchinson Golf iii. 57 A heavy head may bring just the right amount of life—of what Tom Morris calls ‘music’—out of a very stiff shaft. 1903W. J. Travis Pract. Golf (rev. ed.) ix. 111 The man with a less rapid swing will get equally as long a ball by using a more supple shaft. The more ‘music’ there is in the shaft, however, the greater is the liability to slice or pull.
13. attrib. and Comb.
a. simple attrib., as music cabinet, music critic, music-desk, music-folio, music-lesson, music-man, music-master, music-meeting, music-mistress, music-monger, music-night, music-rack, music-rest, music-room, music-school, music-score, music-sheet, music-shop, music-stand, music-stool, music-track.
b. objective, instrumental, etc., as music-lover, music-maker, music-making, music-publisher, music-seller; music-drawing, music flowing, music-footed, music-hungry, music-loving, music-mad, music-panting, music-sounding, music-stirring, music-stunned, music-tongued adjs.
1883Heal & Son Catal. Sept. 216 *Music Cabinet, Walnut or Ebonised. 1911Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 22 Apr. 4/4 It does not matter to us what style of piano you may have we can give you a music cabinet style to harmonize.
1901G. B. Shaw Three Plays for Puritans p. v, The difference between the leisure of a Persian cat and the labor of a cockney cab horse is not greater than the difference between the official weekly or fortnightly play-goings of the theatre critic and the restless daily rushing to and fro of the *music critic. 1956Auden & Kallman Magic Flute (1957) 58 That is changed Since music-critics learned to feel ‘estranged’.
1835Dickens Sk. Boz, Mistaken Milliner, ‘Tap-tap-tap’, went the leader's bow on the *music-desk.
1788Cowper Stanzas for 1788, 12 The *musick-drawing bow.
1820Shelley Hymn Mercury lxxxiii, I Present thee with this *music-flowing shell.
1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Music-folio, Music-wrapper, a case or book for holding loose music.
1607Chapman Bussy d'Ambois v. i, Thy *musique-footed horse.
1950A. Lomax Mister Jelly Roll iv. 181 A gang of *music-hungry, life-hungry white kids.
1835Marryat Pacha iii, The *music-lesson was over.
1933Maclean's Mag. 15 July 32/4 *Music lovers will thrill at the music of His Majesty's Scots Guards, and thirty other bands. 1963Auden Dyer's Hand 507 That great music-lover, Bernard Shaw.
1870D. J. Kirwan Palace & Hovel xxxiv. 493 Theatre going and *music-loving people.
1776Burney Hist. Mus. (1789) I. Pref. 11 A great genius *music-mad.
1864Browning Dram. Pers. 49 Schumann's our *music maker now. 1955N. Cardus in H. van Thal Fanfare for E. Newman iii. 34 The composer's physiology as music-maker.
1946*Music-making [see sense 13 c below]. 1963Times 12 Feb. 14/4 A recital which had more of the air of a friendly music-making at home than the deadly earnest aspiration usually encountered on this platform.
1866Carlyle Inaug. Addr. 193 Our painters, poets and *music-men. 1937H. G. Wells Brynhild v. 61 The brightest and best producers, directors,..cutters, music-men. 1950L. Bennett Anancy Stories & Dial. Verse 40 Once upon a time Cockroach was a very good music-man an everybody wat have a dance always want Bredda Cockroach fe play fe dem. 1958Spectator 10 Jan. 38/1 Mrs. Legge is what music-men call the flipover.
c1630B. Jonson Expost. w. Inigo Jones 63 He now is come To be the *music-master: tabler too. 1693C. Dryden D.'s Juvenal vii. (1697) 179 Now look into the Musick-Master's Gains. 1845Ainsworth's Mag. VII. 507, I see your ladyship's music-master..in the carriage.
1664Pepys Diary 5 Oct., To the *Musique-meeting at the Post-office, where I was once before. 1769Gray in Corr. w. Nicholls (1843) 97 Mr. Reinholt, and Miss Thomas, great names at Salisbury and Gloster music-meeting.
1861G. J. Whyte-Melville Good for N. I. 200 Paler and paler grew the *music-mistress's cheek.
1784J. Potter Virtuous Villagers I. 100 *Music-monger.
1686Wilding in Collect. (O.H.S.) I. 264 At ye *Musick-night..00 02 06. 1859Geo. Eliot A. Bede xxi, On music-nights it was apparent that patience could never be an easy virtue to him.
1819Shelley Prometh. Unb. ii. ii. 29 [A nightingale] Sick with sweet love, droops dying away On its mate's *music-panting bosom.
1848Knickerbocker XXXI. 450 Mr. Joseph F. Atwill, one of our most popular *music-publishers..is issuing..a musical publication of rare interest. 1885List of Subscribers, Classified (United Telephone Co.) (ed. 6) 157 Music publishers and sellers..Boosey & Co. 1919Wodehouse Damsel in Distress xvi. 199 She was a stenographer in a music-publisher's office when we first met.
1855Knickerbocker XLV. 136 You hide behind the *music-rack while Miss Mince passes. 1879G. Meredith Egoist xxiv, She went to the music-rack and gave the song unasked.
1892Pall Mall G. 2 Mar. 2/1 A rickety piano, with a Beethoven Symphony open on the *music-rest. 1922Joyce Ulysses 691 It's musicrest supporting the music..for voice and piano of Love's Old Sweet Song.
1638Burgh Rec. Glasgow (1876) I. 388 Seing that the *musik schooll is altogidder dekayit within this burgh.
1801T. Busby Dict. Music, *Music-seller, one who buys and sells music..likewise all kinds of musical instruments. 1811Jane Austen Sense & Sens. I. xvii. 216 Booksellers, music-sellers, and print-shops.
1914W. Owen Let. c 3 July (1967) 264 Practically all my *Music Sheets..have been stolen!
c1760in Dryden Alexander's Feast (title-page), Set to Musick by Mr. Handel. Edinburgh, sold by Robert Bremner, at his *Musick-shop, at the Harp and Hautboy. 1818Lady Morgan Autobiog. (1859) 204 He declared he would go..to all the old music-shops to try and find it.
1925E., O., & S. Sitwell Poor Young People 20 To *music-sounding moonlight.
1762G. Colman Musical Lady ii. 39 Away with your *music-stands. 1887I. R. Lady's Ranche Life Montana 11, I bought a sofa..and music-stand.
1819Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. i. 777 The *music-stirring motion of its soft and busy feet.
1834Dickens Sk. Boz (1836). 1st Ser. I. 206 Mr. Wisbottle was describing semi⁓circles on the *music-stool. 1879F. W. Robinson Coward Consc. ii. xv, Slitherwick..sat down on the music-stool. 1902Conrad Youth 314 He swung half round on the music-stool, listening with his fingertips at rest on the keyboard. 1975Country Life 2 Oct. 852/1 The wood's great weight also recommended it for pillar furniture: ranging from tea-poy to music stool.
a1930D. H. Lawrence Sex, Literature & Censorship (1955) 114 The dream of our pathetic, *music-stunned young girl of today.
1819Shelley Prometh. Unb. ii. ii. 42 Echoes, *music-tongued, which draw..All spirits on that secret way.
1953K. Reisz Technique Film Editing iii. xii. 187 It is most important that the dubbing editor should be able to cross fade from the dialogue to the *music track at any time.
c. attrib. or quasi-adj. in the sense musical a.
1602Shakes. Ham. iii. i. 164, I..That suck'd the Honie of his Musicke Vowes. 16051st Pt. Ieronimo ii. iv. 35 Clap a siluer tongue Within this pallat, that..I may..Haue euery sillable a musick stop. 1657Thornley tr. Longus' Daphnis & Chloe 142 Her Singing Limbs. The Earth buried them, preserving to them still their musick-property. 1669Gale Ct. Gentiles i. ii. iii. 30 Many music Instruments had obteined a Barbaric name. 1877G. B. Shaw How to become Mus. Critic (1960) 19 Tristan and Isolde, a music drama which, in order of development, is the latest of Wagner's works. 1885― Ibid. 91 His allegorical music-play Die Zauberflöte. 1903R. Hughes Musical Guide I. 207/2 Music-drama. An opera (particularly of the Wagnerian School) in which the text and the action determine the music, and are not interrupted by set arias, duets, etc. 1935Discovery Sept. 250/2 This..building..is now the scene of the Triennial Music Festivals. 1946Mezzrow & Wolfe Really Blues viii. 117 We had a ritual for these music-appreciation classes. 1946Penguin Music Mag. Dec. 10 Since the early eighteenth century the music festival has been one of the most important and sustaining influences in English music-making. 1947A. Einstein Music in Romantic Era xvi. 227 Wagner..considered himself, justifiably, not as a pure musician, but as a music-dramatist. 1966Listener 5 May 663/2 Puccini's Madama Butterfly, his only opera that may lay claim to be called a psychological music drama. 1975Country Life 2 Oct. 846/1 Wagner's great works are music-dramas rather than operas in the old sense.
d. Special combinations: † music-band, a ‘band of music’; music-bells Sc. = carillon 1; music-book, a book containing written or printed music-scores; music-box, † (a) a barrel-organ; (b) = musical box (see musical a. 10); (c) jocularly, a pianoforte; music case, (a) a container (see case n.2 9) in which the component parts of a fount of music type are arranged before being set; (b) a container for sheet music; music centre, a stereophonic system combining record-player, radio, and cassette tape recorder in a single unit, usu. with separate loudspeakers; music-club, a club for promoting the practice of music; music-demy (see quot. 1859); music gallery, a gallery in a church or hall for the accommodation of the musicians; † music-girl, a female professional singer; music-grinder, an itinerant street musician (see grind v.1 7); music-hall, a hall used for musical performances; spec. a hall licensed for singing, dancing, and other entertainments exclusive of dramatic performances; also attrib.; so music-hallish, music-hally adjs., suggestive of a music-hall; † music-house, (a) the room in a theatre, etc., in which the musicians sat (cf. music-room); (b) a public hall or saloon for musical performances; music-licence, a magistrates' licence to give vocal and instrumental entertainments in a public building or apartment; music line, a line (line n.2 1 e) whose transmission characteristics are good enough for the transmission of music, and along which programme material is usually sent; music-loft = organ-loft (see organ n.1 8); music-paper, paper ruled for writing music upon (see quot. 1859); music-pen (see quot. 1840); music-plate, a metal alloy composed of antimony, tin, and lead; music-roll, (a) a receptacle for the carriage of rolled-up sheet music; (b) a roll, usually of perforated paper, used in a pianola or player-piano or similar instrument; music-room, a room in which music is performed; † spec. a room at the side of a theatre-stage in which the musicians sat; † music-shell, one of several species of gasteropodous molluscs of the family Volutidæ, esp. Voluta musica, characterized by markings on the shell resembling written music; music-smith, a mechanic who makes the metal parts for pianofortes, organs, etc.; † music speech, an oration formerly part of the proceedings at the Encænia at Oxford; † music-stamper, a kind of bat; music type, a fount of type, including several hundred pieces, used for the typographic printing of music, as distinguished from the use of engraved plates; also attrib.; music-wire, steel wire such as is used for stringed musical instruments.
1812J. Wilson Isle of Palms iv. 442 The *music bands both near and far Are playing. 1856Olmsted Slave States 552 Music bands, composed of negroes.
1818Gentl. Mag. LXXXVIII. ii. 398 These carillons have been introduced into Scotland..where they are called *musick-bells.
1597Morley Introd. Mus. 1 *Musicke bookes..being brought to the table: the mistresse of the house presented mee with a part, earnestly requesting mee to sing. 1895‘Merriman’ Grey Lady i. ix, The Spaniard opened the music-book and indicated the page.
1773Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. i. i, Little Aminadab that grinds the *music box. 1844Marg. Fuller Wom. 19th C. (1862) 258 Music-boxes, which you can wind up to play their set of tunes. 1849Thackeray Pendennis liv, There was a piano in Mr. Sibwright's chamber.., and at this music-box, as Mr. Warrington called it, Laura..played and sang.
1841W. Savage Dict. Art of Printing 487 All that I shall attempt is to give the plan of a pair of *Music Cases, with the characters. 1890Cent. Dict., Music-case. 1894Amer. Dict. Printing & Bookmaking 383/2 Music cases, special cases of a complicated character employed in composing type-music. 1924Southward's Mod. Printing (ed. 5) I. v. 41 Music Cases. This class of case has to be made to suit the founts of different founders, who vary in the number of characters they cast. 1960K. Amis Take Girl like You ii. 27 Jenny..fetched her music case, with books and not music in, from the classroom.
1974Hi Fi for Pleasure Jan. 15 Model G 2601 KL..is a *music centre with everything. 1975Gramophone Nov. 958/2 Decca's Compact 4 music centre now incorporates long wave in its tuner section. 1975Which? Dec. 356/3 Most music centres are designed to be sold with one set of loudspeakers only.
1740R. Verney Let. 11 Nov. in M. M. Verney Verney Lett. (1930) II. xxix. 185 Mr. Millward on returning..from the inn at East Claydon, where there is a *Musicck [sic] Club instituted, fell down. 1801Strutt Sports & Past. iv. i. §3 There were also music-clubs, or private meetings for the practise of music. 1946Penguin Music Mag. Dec. 7 Gramophone societies and music clubs which flourish all over the country.
1859Stationers' Hand-bk. 74 *Music Demy, see short demy. Ibid. 82 Short Demy, a white thick soft paper, used by music publishers for printing music, 21 by 14½ inches.
1794Sir C. Malet in J. Forbes Or. Mem. (1813) III. 106 Opposite to it [was] the nobut khani, or *music-gallery. 1835Court Mag. VI. 117/2 The good rector casts up to the music-gallery a look..of expostulation.
1765G. Colman Terence, Eunuch iii. ii, Are you fond of me For sending you that *musick-girl?
1852Chamb. Jrnl. 27 Mar. 197/1 (art.) *Music-grinders of the Metropolis.
1842Dickens Amer. Notes iii. (1850) 21/1 The pupils all repaired..to a spacious *music-hall,..and listened..to a voluntary on the organ. 1857J. E. Ritchie Night Side London 145 The new Music Hall, Hungerford Market. 1870D. J. Kirwan Palace & Hovel xxxiv. 503 A popular street and music-hall song. 1885W. S. Gilbert Mikado ii. 35 The music-hall singer attends a series Of masses and fugues and ‘ops’ By Bach. 1927J. Adams Errors in School 112 His music-hall cluster. 1959New Statesman 25 Apr. 574/3 The opening of the prison scene is made the occasion for an interminable drunken charade which destroys the balance of an act that is precarious enough in its original form—all for the sake of a primitive music-hall joke repeated at least a dozen times without variation. 1975J. Wainwright Square Dance 248 You dress outrageously and you behave like a music-hall comedian.
1893Beerbohm Let. Sept. (1964) 60 A good many common *music-hallish people were standing in front of me. 1930Observer 30 Mar. 15 The patriotic song of 1900 should have been sung by someone more robust and music-hallish than the cute and charming Miss Ada-May.
1889G. B. Shaw London Music in 1888–89 (1937) 211 The inferior theatre orchestra is *music-hally, blatant, thumping, out of tune. 1923A. Christie Murder on Links xxii. 251 Their voices were..rather thin and music-hally, but attractive.
1602Marston Antonio's Rev. v. v. K 1 b, While the measure is dauncing, Andrugios ghost is placed betwixt the *musick houses. 1605in Cunningham Revels at Crt. (1842) 207 The musike house att y⊇ Court. 1612Ibid. 214 A Musik house dore in the hall & a doore for the Musik house in the Bancketing house. 1697W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 361 John Thacker..had formerly learnt to Dance in the Musick-houses about Wapping. 1714Mandeville Fab. Bees (1725) I. 468 The musick-houses at Amsterdam,..than which nothing can be more harmless.
1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Music-licence, a permission from the magistrates to hold concerts and vocal entertainments, &c. at a room or house.
1941B.B.C. Gloss. Broadcasting Terms 20 *Music line. 1962A. Nisbett Technique Sound Studio 246 A control line..is a telephone circuit on which programme details may be discussed, and is so called to distinguish it from the broad band (i.e. high quality) ‘music line’ along which programme is fed.
1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Music-loft, a raised balcony or gallery for a band.
1769Barrington in Phil. Trans. LX. 63 He..was left only with *music-paper, and the words of an oratorio. 1859Stationers' Hand-bk. 74 Music Paper, royal drawing paper, in the 4to size, ruled with the musical stave of five lines.
1840Lardner Geom. iii. 35 These lines [sc. of the stave] are sometimes drawn upon paper by an instrument called a *music pen, consisting of five points at distances corresponding to the distances between the lines.
1839Ure Dict. Arts 51 Its [i.e. antimony] chief employment now is in medicine, and in making the alloys called type metal, stereotype metal, *music plates, and Britannia metal.
1890Cent. Dict., *Music-roll. 1890–1T. Eaton & Co. Catal. Fall & Winter 42/1 Music rolls, in leather... Music rolls, in plush. 1906Bazaar, Exch. & Mart Suppl. 3 Oct. 1322/1 Kastner's upright grand auto-piano for sale,..played by hand or by music rolls. 1907Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 399/3 Music rolls. American cloth, lined cloth—1/5. 1913Strand Mag. Jan. 13 (Advt.), For all player-pianos ‘Songola’ music rolls.
1608Dekker Belman Lond. B 2 b, Vpon euerie branch sat a consort of singers, so that euerie tree shewed like a *Musick roome. 1630Middleton Chaste Maid v. K 2 b, While all the Company seeme to weepe and mourne, there is a sad Song in the Musicke-Roome. 1692R. L'Estrange Fables clxxvi. 147 A Man that had a very Course Voice, but an Excellent Musique-Room, would be still Practising in that Chamber, for the Advantage of the Eccho. 1842P. Cunningham Revels at Crt. 223 In other plans are boxes for the nobility, and in one the situation of the music room is clear enough; viz. at the side of the stage. 1875‘Mark Twain’ Sketches New & Old 307 We shall have billard-rooms [sic], card-rooms, music-rooms. 1928‘Sapper’ Female of Species x. 173 The music-room appeared to be so-called because there was no trace of any musical instrument in it. 1942E. Blom Music in England vi. 92 In 1713 a dancing-master named Hickford opened a music room..where the celebrities of the day appeared. 1975Listener 6 Nov. 608/3 My fourth new stopwatch..fell to the tiled floor of our music-room from my nerveless fingers.
c1711Petiver Gazophyl. vi. lvi, Small Indian *Music-Shell. 1843Penny Cycl. XXVI. 444/1 Musicales, the Music Shells. Consisting of Volutæ ebræa, musica, &c.
1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Music-smith, a workman who makes the metal parts for pianofortes, &c.
a1704T. Brown Wks. (1709) III. iii. 94 (title) Prologue to a *Musick Speech had in the Theatre in Oxford. 1709Steele Tatler No. 45 ⁋5 The Nymphs of this City [Oxford] are disappointed of a luscious Musick-Speech.
1713Petiver Aquat. Anim. Amboinæ 3 Vespertilio... *Musick-Stamper.
1825T. C. Hansard Typographia Index 11, Music type. 1841W. Savage Dict. Art of Printing 488 (caption) C. Hancock's plan of cases for Hughes' *music type. 1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, Music-type, the symbols or notes of music, cast for printing from. 1875Southward Dict. Typogr., Music types, moveable types used in producing music. 1892A. Powell Southward's Pract. Printing (ed. 4) xxxi. 292 Most of the letter-founders supply music types. 1923W. Gamble Music Engraving & Printing xv. 169 The setting up of music type is a difficult and tedious operation. 1934C. Lambert Music Ho! 11 There are few technical terms and no music-type illustrations. 1968Listener 27 June 845/2 To demonstrate this [sc. the shapes of this plain-chant melody] would need music-type.
1823J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 150 With small *musick-wire, cut your making into cakes.
▸ music video n. orig. U.S. (a) video recording with musical content; spec. a promotional video for a pop song.
1981Washington Post (Nexis) 27 Dec. f11 *Music video is still waiting for the commercial integration of hardware and software, but we can expect to see more simultaneous releases on vinyl and video in 1982. 1989HMV Christmas Mag. 21 There's a whole range of films and music videos available now for as little as {pstlg}4.99. 1992M. Medved Hollywood vs. Amer. i. i. 11 One of the most heavily hyped entertainment ‘vents’ in history: the world premiere of the music video ‘Black or White’, from Michael Jackson's album Dangerous. 1999Scotsman 27 Mar. (i Mag.) 25/4 Music-video director Scott will bring an arresting quality to the visuals.
▪ II. music, v.|ˈmjuːzɪk|
[f. music n.]
In various nonce-uses: a. trans. To influence by music; to train in music. b. To set to music, describe musically. c. intr. To produce music; entertain oneself with music.
1713Gentl. Instructed i. Suppl. iv. (ed. 5) p. xli, A Man must have a mean Valuation of Christ to leave him for a Touch upon an Instrument, and a faint Idea of future Torments to be fiddled and musick'd into Hell. 1788E. Jerningham in Jern. Lett. (1896) I. 46, I suppose you have been reading, drawing, and musiking. a1814Sixteen & Sixty in New Brit. Theatre IV. 387 There be Miss Bore'em a musicing already. 1861J. Pycroft Agony Point xii. (1862) 142 The girls..have not only been Frenched, and Musicked, and Deportmented,..but they have also had [etc.]. 1876T. S. Egan tr. Heine's Atta Troll, etc. 221 The young one musicked and trilled. 1897Nat. Observ. 27 Feb. 414 The authors,..after having ‘musicked’ mysticism in Le Rêve..treat now in Messidor the labour question. 1900W. A. Ellis Wagner I. 198 We met, ate, and even music-ed together once in Leipzig. |