Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| agitpop | the use of pop music to promote political propaganda > AGITPOPS. |
| air ayre | a melody or tune. |
| alaap alap alapa | in Indian music, the introductory section of a RAGA. |
| albumblatt | a short occasional instrumental composition, usually light in character > ALBUMBLATTS or ALBUMBLATTER. |
| anacreontic | a drinking song or light lyric. |
| anthem | a composition for a church choir, commonly with solo passages, usu set to a passage from the Bible; any song of praise or gladness; loosely, an officially recognized national hymn or song; (verb) to praise with an anthem. |
| anthemic | like an anthem; of rock music, having a bold tune and rhythm. |
| aria | an elaborate melody for a single voice. |
| arietta ariette | a short ARIA. |
| aubade | a song or poem greeting the dawn or about lovers parting at dawn. |
| ayaya | a type of singing among the Inuit. |
| ayre | see AIR. |
| azione | a composition like an oratorio but performed as a drama > AZIONES. |
| bachata | a type of Latin American music with guitar and percussion. |
| ballad | a slow, sentimental song; a simple narrative poem in short stanzas; (verb) to compose or sing ballads. |
| balladic | relating to a BALLAD. |
| ballant ballat | a ballad; (verb) to compose ballads. |
| banda | a style of Mexican dance music. |
| ballet | to sing or compose ballads. |
| barbershop | a type of music originating in the US, played, or esp sung, in close chromatic harmony. |
| barcarole barcarolle | a gondolier's song. |
| beatboxing | a form of hip-hop music in which the voice is used to simulate percussion instruments. |
| bebop | a variety of jazz music; (verb) to play bebop. |
| benga | a form of Kenyan popular music featuring guitars. |
| berceuse | a lullaby. |
| bhajan | a Hindu religious song. |
| bhangra | a combination of traditional Punjabi and Western pop music. |
| bluebeat | a type of West Indian pop music. |
| bluegrass | a style of country music. |
| blues | a slow sad song, orig an African-American folk song, characteristically with three four-bar lines and blue notes. |
| bluesy | of or like BLUES music > BLUESIER, BLUESIEST. |
| bluette | a spark, a flash; a short playful piece of music. |
| bop | a variety of jazz music; (verb) to dance to this. |
| boppy | suggestive of bebop > BOPPIER, BOPPIEST. |
| boppish | suggestive of bebop. |
| bottleneck | a style of guitar playing, used esp. for blues music. |
| bouffe | a comic opera. |
| brindisi | a toast; a drinking-song > BRINDISIS. |
| burletta | a comic operetta; a music farce > BURLETTAS. |
| cabaletta | a simple operatic song or melody in rondo form > CABALETTE or CABALETTAS. |
| cajun | a lively syncopated music in the Cajun tradition. |
| calypso | a West Indian ballad dealing with topical events > CALYPSOS or CALYPSOES. |
| cancrizans | moving backwards; repeating a musical theme backwards. [L. cancrizare, to move like a crab]. |
| canon | a type of vocal or instrumental musical composition in which the melody is repeated by one part following another in imitation. |
| canso | a love song > CANSOS. |
| cantata | an extended composition for one or more voices with instrumental accompaniment. |
| canticle | a song; a non-metrical hymn, esp one used in a church service. |
| cantion | a song. |
| cantus | a melody or chant, esp. in mediaeval ecclesiastical music > CANTUS. |
| canzona canzone | a song resembling a madrigal but less strict > of CANZONE is CANZONES or CANZONI. |
| canzonet canzonetta | a short CANZONE > of CANZONETTA is CANZONETTE. |
| capriccio | a kind of free composition, not keeping to the rules of any particular form > CAPRICCI or CAPRICCIOS. |
| carol | a song of joy and praise; (verb) to sing carols > CAROLED/CAROLLED. |
| cavatina | a short operatic air > CAVATINE or CAVATINAS. |
| chamade | a signal made for a parley by beat of a drum. |
| chanson | a song. |
| chansonette | a little song, a ditty. |
| chantey chantie chanty shantey shanty | a song sung by sailors as they worked. |
| charivari chivaree chivari | a cacophonous mock-serenade performed for a wedding; (verb) to perform such a serenade. CHIVARI gives CHIVARIES (not CHIVARIS*), CHIVARIED, CHIVARIING. |
| choral chorale | a simple harmonized composition with slow rhythm; a psalm or hymn tune. |
| coda | an end-piece. |
| codetta | a short passage connecting two sections, but not forming part of either; a short coda. |
| concertante | a composition alternating tutti passages and passages for a group of soloists > CONCERTANTI. |
| concertino | a piece for one or more solo instruments with orchestra; -- more concise than the CONCERTO > CONCERTINOS or CONCERTINI. |
| concerto | a composition (in the classical form usu. in three movements) for one, or sometimes more, solo instruments accompanied by orchestra > CONCERTOS or CONCERTI. |
| concertstuck | a composition in concerto style but shorter than a full concerto > CONCERTSTUCKS. |
| conductus | a style of metrical Latin song of the 12th and 13th century > CONDUCTI. |
| conjunto | a kind of Mexican-American music that has been influenced by the music of German immigrants to Texas and that features the accordion in addition to Mexican elements > CONJUNTOS. |
| coranach coronach | a lamentation for the dead; a dirge. |
| cowpunk | music combining country and western with punk rock. |
| crunk krunk | a form of hip-hop music originating in the southern states of the US. |
| cumbia | a Columbian style of music. |
| dancecore | a type of Electronic/Techno music with rapid beats and often, extreme distortion. |
| dancehall | a style of dance-oriented REGGAE, a form of popular music originating in Jamaica. No —S. |
| dancelike | suitable for dancing to. |
| dancy dancey | relating to dance music > DANCIER, DANCIEST. |
| dirge | a funeral song or hymn; a slow and mournful piece of music. |
| dirgelike | in the manner of a dirge. |
| divertimento | a genre of 18th C. chamber music having several short movements > DIVERTIMENTI or DIVERTIMENTOS. |
| doowop | a style of singing in harmony. |
| dubstep | a genre of electronic music conveying a dark and brooding atmosphere through prominent bass lines. |
| duet | a composition for two; (verb) to take part in playing a composition for two. Cf. DUETT, DUETTO. |
| duett | a composition for two. Cf. DUET, DUETTO. |
| duettino | a duet of short extent and concise form > DUETTINOS. |
| duettist | one who takes part in a duet. |
| duetto | a composition for two > DUETTI or DUETTOS. Cf. DUET, DUETT. |
| dumka | a lament, a piece alternating between lively and sorrowful moods > DUMKY or DUMKAS. |
| ecossaise | a dancing tune in the Scotch style. |
| electroclash | a type of electronic music. |
| electropop | a genre of pop music characterized by the use of synthesizers to replace guitars and drums. |
| emo | a type of music combining traditional hard rock with personal and emotional lyrics > EMOS. |
| emocore | a type of music combining hard rock with personal and emotional lyrics. |
| equali | pieces for a group of instruments of the same kind e.g. Beethoven's Equali for four trombones. [Ital. old pl. of uguale, equal]. |
| etude | a composition in the fine arts which is intended, or may serve, for a study. |
| europop | A form of simple pop music, performed by European artists. |
| extravaganza | a literary, musical, or dramatic composition of an extravagant or fanciful character. |
| fantasia fantasie | a musical or other composition not governed by the ordinary rules of form. |
| filk | a type of music that parodies folk songs. |
| filmi | a style of music associated with Indian films. |
| folksong | a traditional song, or song in the traditional manner. |
| folktronica | a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronic music . |
| forebitter | a nautical ballad sung at the FOREBITTS. |
| fugal | pertaining to a FUGUE. |
| fugally | (adv.) FUGAL, pertaining to a FUGUE. |
| fugato | a piece in the manner of a fugue > FUGATOS. |
| fughetta | a short FUGUE. |
| fugue | a polyphonic musical form in which a number of voices are developed contrapuntally; (verb) to compose a fugue. |
| fuguelike | like a FUGUE. |
| gabba | a style of electronic dance music with a very fast heavy rhythm. |
| gagaku | a type of Japanese classical music. |
| galant | an 18th-century style of music characterized by homophony and elaborate ornamentation. |
| gangsta | gangster rap music which is aggressive and misogynistic. |
| garage | a type of unsophisticated rock music. |
| garagey | of or like garage music > GARAGIER, GARAGIEST. |
| gat gath | the second section of a RAGA. |
| goombay | calypso music of the Bahamas. |
| gospelly | like gospel music. |
| goth | a morbid style of rock music and fashion characterized by black clothes and heavy make-up. |
| grunge | a style of rock music featuring a discordant guitar sound and lyrics expressing social alienation. |
| grungy | like GRUNGE. |
| hallali | a bugle-call > HALLALIS. |
| hardcore | a type of rock music > hardcores. |
| highlife | a style of music combining West African elements with jazz forms. |
| horning | a mock serenade, a SHIVAREE. |
| housey | typical of house music used in discos edited from other recordings > HOUSIER, HOUSIEST. |
| humoresk humoresque | a musical caprice. |
| hushaby | a lullaby used to soothe babies to sleep; (verb) to sing a lullaby. |
| hymn | a song of praise, esp to God, but also to a nation, etc.; (verb) to sing a hymn. |
| hymnlike | like a HYMN. |
| hyphy | a style of hip-hop music originating in the Bay Area of San Francisco. |
| indie | a type of music produced by independent record labels, often catering ot non-mainstream taste. |
| intermezzo | a short connecting instrumental movement in an opera or other musical work; a similar piece performed independently. |
| intrada | an introductory piece, a prelude. |
| jass | jazz. |
| jazz | any of various styles of music with a strong rhythm, syncopation, improvisation, etc, originating in black American folk music; (verb) to play jazz music, to enliven. |
| jazzlike | like JAZZ. |
| jazzy | like JAZZ, noisy, garish > JAZZIER, JAZZIEST. |
| jhala | in Hindu music, part of the second movement of a RAGA. |
| jiggy | resembling a jig > JIGGIER, JIGGIEST. |
| jiglike | like a JIG. |
| jor | the second movement of a RAGA (Indian music). |
| jungle | a style of rock music. |
| karaoke | a kind of sing-along entertainment. |
| khayal | a kind of Indian classical vocal music. |
| kinderspiel | a children's CANTATA or play. |
| kirtan | devotional singing, usually accompanied by musical instruments. |
| klezmer | a style of music > part Jewish, part big-band > KLEZMORIM. |
| krautrock | a name applied to experimental German rock music of the late 1960s and 1970s, characterized by repetitive rhythms and the use of electronic instruments. |
| kwaito | a type of S. African pop music > KWAITOS. |
| kwela | a form of Zulu folk music. [Zulu khwela, climb, mount]. |
| lied | a song > LIEDER. |
| loungey | relating to or reminiscent of a cocktail lounge or lounge music > LOUNGIER, LOUNGIEST. |
| lullaby | a song used to get a child to sleep; (verb) to sing a lullaby. |
| madrigal | a part-song for several voices, spec. one of a 16th- or 17th-cent. Italian style, arranged in elaborate counterpoint, and sung without instrumental accompaniment. |
| madrigalian | of or like a MADRIGAL. |
| mallcore | a form of music that incorporates rap and funk. |
| marabi | a kind of music popular in townships in the 1930s > MARABIS. |
| marchlike | like a (musical) march. |
| mariachi | designating a form of Mexican dance music; (noun) any of a group of musician playing this > MARIACHIS. |
| mas | music played for a Caribbean carnival. |
| mashup | a piece of live or recorded music in which a producer blends together two or more tracks, often from contrasting genres. |
| mbaqanga | a type of Black African urban music. [Orig. uncertain; perh. related to Zulu umbaqanga, maize, porridge]. |
| mento | a traditional Jamaican form of song or ballad > MENTOS. |
| monophony | a composition for one voice. Cf. POLYPHONY. |
| motet motett | a kind of unaccompanied part-song or anthem. |
| musicale | a social gathering with music, or the programme of music for it. |
| muzak | piped background music. |
| muzaky | denoting a cheap sentimental kind of music > MUZAKIER, MUZAKIEST. |
| neosoul | a style of popular music combining traditional soul music with elements from other genres. |
| nocturne | a musical composition of a dreamy character; also a painting of a night scene. |
| noel | a Christmas carol. |
| nonet nonette nonetto | a composition for nine instruments, rarely for nine voices > of NONETTO is NONETTI or NONETTOS. |
| notturno | a NOCTURNE > NOTTURNI. |
| octet octett octette | a composition for eight voices; a group of eight lines of verse. |
| octuor | an OCTET. |
| opera | a musical drama. |
| operatic | relating to opera. |
| operatics | the study of opera; histrionic behaviour. |
| operetta | a short, light, musical drama. |
| opuscle opuscule | a little work or composition. |
| oratorio | a choral work usu. on a scriptural subject. |
| overture | an instrumental prelude to an opera, oratorio; (verb) to put forward as an overture. |
| paean | a song of thanksgiving. [L. from Gk. Paian, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo; the word then became generalised]. |
| palinode palinody | an ode or song recanting or retracting something in an earlier poem. |
| partita | a suite; a set of variations. |
| pastorale | a composition in a soft, rural style, generally in 6-8 or 12-8 time > PASTORALI or PASTORALES. |
| pibroch | variations on a dirge or martial theme for bagpipes. |
| plainchant plainsong | unmeasured, unaccompanied music sung in unison in ecclesiastical modes from early times. |
| planxty | an Irish or Welsh melody for the harp, sometimes of a mournful character. |
| popera | music drawing on opera or classical music but aiming for popular appeal. |
| poptastic | denoting a very good piece of pop music. |
| postpunk | of pop music, belonging to a period following punk rock; (noun) a follower of this music > POSTPUNKS. |
| preludio | a prelude > PRELUDI or PRELUDIOS. |
| prerock | belonging to the fortunate era before the advent of rock music. |
| primo | the first part of a duet, trio etc > PRIMI or PRIMOS. |
| prothalamion prothalamium | a song in honour of a marriage > in both cases PROTHALAMIA. |
| psalm | a hymn or religious song; (verb) to sing psalms. |
| psychobilly | a genre of popular music blending rockabilly with punk rock. |
| qawwali | a form of devotional Sufi music. |
| quartet quartett quartette quartetto | a composition for four voices. The pl. of QUARTETTO is QUARTETTI. |
| queercore | a type of gay-orientated pop music. |
| quintet quintett quintette quintetto | a composition for five voices or instruments. The pl. of QUINTETTO is QUINTETTI. |
| raga | an Indian musical form. [Skr. raga, colour, tone]. |
| ragga raggamuffin | a type of rap music. |
| ragini | a modified RAGA. |
| ragtime | a form of jazz music of black American origin, with highly syncopated melody. |
| rai | a modern North African form of popular music. |
| ranchera | a type of Mexican country music. |
| rebop | a type of music. |
| recitative recitativo | a style of musical declamation, between singing and ordinary speech, used esp. in the dialogue and narrative parts of an opera or oratorio. |
| reggae | a form of popular music originating in Jamaica. |
| reggaeton | a form of music blending West Indian music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America. |
| rhapsodic | of or like a RHAPSODY, a free instrumental composition in one extended movement. |
| rhapsody | a free instrumental composition in one extended movement, usu. emotional or exuberant in character. |
| ricercar ricercare ricercata | any of various contrapuntal instrumental forms esp. of the 16th and 17th centuries. The pl. of RICERCARE is RICERCARES or RICERCARI |
| ripieno | the body of instruments accompanying the concertino in baroque concerto music > RIPIENI or RIPIENOS. |
| rispetto | a type of Italian folk-song with 8-line stanzas > RISPETTI. |
| ritornel ritornell ritornelle ritornello ritournelle | a short return or repetition; a concluding symphony to an air, often consisting of the burden of the song. |
| rockabilly | a form of rock-and-roll music with elements of hillbilly. |
| rockaby rockabye | a song used to lull a child to sleep. |
| romanza | a short instrumental piece of songlike character. |
| rondino | a short RONDO > RONDINOS. |
| rondo | a piece of music with a recurring leading theme, often as the final movement of a concerto, sonata, etc > RONDOS. |
| rondoletto | a short RONDO. |
| rosalia | a series of repetitions of the same passage, each a tone higher. [Said to be from an Italian folksong, Rosalia cara mia]. |
| round | a CANON sung in unison. |
| roundelay | a song with a refrain. |
| scherzo | in music, a lively busy movement in triple time > SCHERZOS or SCHERZI. |
| scolion skolion | a short drinking song of ancient Greece, taken up by the guests in irregular succession > SCOLIA, SKOLIA. |
| screamo | A form of emo music typically featuring screaming vocals. |
| secondo | the second part in a concerted piece > SECONDI. |
| sennet | a trumpet call used for formal stage entrance or exit. |
| serenade | a piece of vocal music, especially one on an amorous subject; (verb) to address a serenade to. |
| serenata serenate | a serenade. |
| sestet sestett sestette sestetto sextet sextett sextette sextuor | a piece of music composed for six voices or six instruments > of SESTETTO is SESTETTOS. |
| shantey | see CHANTEY. |
| shanty | see CHANTEY. |
| sinfonia | a symphony; a symphony orchestra > SINFONIE or SINFONIAS. |
| sinfonietta | a short or simple symphony. |
| ska | a form of Jamaican music similar to REGGAE. |
| skiffle | a strongly accented form of music played on guitars, drums, and often unconventional instruments, etc, popular in the late 1950s (not with me it wasn't); (verb) to play skiffle. |
| skolion | see SCOLION. |
| skronk | music that is grating, dissonant, and frequently avante garde. |
| soca sokah | a variety of Caribbean calypso music. [From soul plus calypso]. |
| sonata | a musical composition for one or two instruments (one usu. being the piano), usu. in several movements with one (esp. the first) or more in sonata form > SONATAS. |
| sonatina | a short and simple sonata > SONATINAS or SONATINE. |
| song | that which is sung; a short poem or ballad suitable for singing or set to music. |
| soukous | a form of Central African dance music. [Fr. secouer, to shake]. |
| stasimon | in Greek tragedy, a song of the chorus, continued without the interruption of dialogue or anapaestics > STASIMA. |
| swingbeat | a type of dance music. |
| symphonic | relating to a SYMPHONY. |
| symphony | an orchestral composition on a great scale in SONATA form. |
| synthpop | pop music using synthesisers. |
| tantara tantarara | a trumpet fanfare; a hunting cry. |
| tarantara taratantara | the sound of a trumpet or trumpet fanfare; (verb) to make this sound. |
| techno technomusic | a type of fast, repetitive electronic dance music. |
| technopop | pop music featuring synthesisers and other technological equipment. |
| tersanctus | the hymn beginning Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, which forms the conclusion of the Eucharistic preface > TERSANCTUSES. |
| terzetto | a composition in three voice parts; a vocal (rarely an instrumental) trio > TERZETTI or TERZETTOS. |
| thrashy | denoting a style of fast loud punk rock music > THRASHIER, THRASHIEST. |
| threne | a dirge; a THRENODY. |
| threnetic threnetical | relating to a THRENODY, an ode of lamentation. |
| threnode threnody | a dirge; a funeral song. |
| threnodial | of or like a THRENODY. |
| threnodic | like a THRENODY, mournful. |
| threnody | a funeral song, a THRENODY. |
| threnos | a dirge; a funeral song > THRENOSES. |
| toccata | a brilliant, quick, fantasia-like musical composition > TOCCATAS or TOCCATE. |
| toccatella toccatina | a short TOCCATA. |
| torchy | like a torch song, a melancholy love song > TORCHIER, TORCHIEST. |
| trad | traditional jazz. |
| trio | a set of three; a composition for three instruments. |
| trisagion | an ancient anthem, -- usually known by its Latin name TERSANCTUS. |
| tucket | a fanfare on a trumpet. |
| vaudeville | a kind of song of a lively character, frequently embodying a satire on some person or event, sung to a familiar air in couplets with a refrain; a street song; a topical song. |
| vocalese | a type of singing in which the singer improvises words to familiar instrumental solos. |
| volkslied | a popular song, or national air > VOLKSLIEDER. |
| voluntary | music added to a piece at the will of the performer. |
| waiata | a Maori song > WAIATAS. |
| woodshedding | spontaneous or improvised barbershop singing. |
| worksong | a song sung while doing physical work. |
| worldbeat | popular music from outside the western mainstream. |
| zouk | a style of Caribbean dance music. |
| zydeco | a type of dance music > ZYDECOS. [Supposedly from the Creole pronunciation of les haricots, or, in French, "the beans"]. |