Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Music"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Music
Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Gen. 4:21). The
Hebrews were much given to the cultivation of music. Their whole
history and literature afford abundant evidence of this. After
the Deluge, the first mention of music is in the account of
Laban's interview with Jacob (Gen. 31:27). After their triumphal
passage of the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang
their song of deliverance (Ex. 15).
But the period of Samuel, David, and Solomon was the golden
age of Hebrew music, as it was of Hebrew poetry. Music was now
for the first time systematically cultivated. It was an
essential part of training in the schools of the prophets (1
Sam. 10:5; 19:19-24; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chr. 25:6). There now arose
also a class of professional singers (2 Sam. 19:35; Eccl. 2:8).
The temple, however, was the great school of music. In the
conducting of its services large bands of trained singers and
players on instruments were constantly employed (2 Sam. 6:5; 1
Chr. 15; 16; 23;5; 25:1-6).
In private life also music seems to have held an important
place among the Hebrews (Eccl. 2:8; Amos 6:4-6; Isa. 5:11, 12;
24:8, 9; Ps. 137; Jer. 48:33; Luke 15:25).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Music \Mu"sic\, n. [F. musique, fr. L. musica, Gr. ? (sc. ?),
any art over which the Muses presided, especially music,
lyric poetry set and sung to music, fr. ? belonging to Muses
or fine arts, fr. ? Muse.]
1. The science and the art of tones, or musical sounds, i.
e., sounds of higher or lower pitch, begotten of uniform
and synchronous vibrations, as of a string at various
degrees of tension; the science of harmonical tones which
treats of the principles of harmony, or the properties,
dependences, and relations of tones to each other; the art
of combining tones in a manner to please the ear.
Note: Not all sounds are tones. Sounds may be unmusical and
yet please the ear. Music deals with tones, and with no
other sounds. See {Tone}.
2.
(a) Melody; a rhythmical and otherwise agreeable
succession of tones.
(b) Harmony; an accordant combination of simultaneous
tones.
3. The written and printed notation of a musical composition;
the score.
4. Love of music; capacity of enjoying music.
The man that hath no music in himself Nor is not
moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for
treasons, stratagems, and spoils. --Shak.
5. (Zo["o]l.) A more or less musical sound made by many of
the lower animals. See {Stridulation}.
{Magic music}, a game in which a person is guided in finding
a hidden article, or in doing a specific art required, by
music which is made more loud or rapid as he approaches
success, and slower as he recedes. --Tennyson.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Musical \Mu"sic*al\, a. [Cf. F. musical.]
Of or pertaining to music; having the qualities of music; or
the power of producing music; devoted to music; melodious;
harmonious; as, musical proportion; a musical voice; musical
instruments; a musical sentence; musical persons.
{Musical}, or {Music}, {box}, a box or case containing
apparatus moved by clockwork so as to play certain tunes
automatically.
{Musical fish} (Zo["o]l.), any fish which utters sounds under
water, as the drumfish, grunt, gizzard shad, etc.
{Musical glasses}, glass goblets or bowls so tuned and
arranged that when struck, or rubbed, they produce musical
notes. CF. {Harmonica}, 1.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
music
n 1: an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating
instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and
continuous manner
2: any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds; "he fell
asleep to the music of the wind chimes" [syn: {euphony}]
3: a musical diversion; "his music was his central interest"
4: a musical composition in printed or written form; "she
turned the pages of the music as he played" [syn: {sheet
music}]
5: the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or
reproductions of such sounds)
6: punishment for one's actions; "you have to face the music";
"take your medicine" [syn: {medicine}]
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