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EO
abbreviation of 'education officer'
e.o.
abbreviation of ex officio
e/o
(Italian abbreviation) and/or
EOA
abbreviation of 'examination, opinion and advice'
e.o.d.
abbreviation of 'every other day'
EOE
on an invoice, abbreviation of 'errors and omissions excepted'
e.o.h.p.
abbreviation of 'except otherwise herein provided'
Eolia
(Italian) Aeolian, Æolian
Eolian
(Greek) Aeolian, Æolian
Eolian harp
see Æolian harp
Eólico (m.), Eólica (f.)
(Spanish) Aeolian, Æolian
Eolien (m.), Eolienne (f.)
(French) Aeolian, Æolian
Eolien mode
see 'Æolian mode'
Eolifono
(Italian m.) wind machine
Eolio
(Italian) Aeolian, Æolian
Eólio
(Portuguese) Aeolian, Æolian
Éoliphone
(French m.) wind machine
eolique
(French) Aeolian, Æolian
e.o.m.
abbreviation of 'every other month', 'end of month'
e.o.o.e.
abbreviation of erreur ou omission exceptée (French: errors and omissions excepted; on invoice forms)
E-Orgel
(German f.) short for elektronische Orgel (German f.), 'electronic organ'
EP
abbreviation of 'educational psychologist'. 'expanded polystyrene', 'extended-play' (gramophone record)
Ep.
abbreviation of Episcopus (Latin: Bishop), 'epistle'
e.p.
abbreviation of editio princeps (Latin: first edition)
Épagneul (m.), Épagneule (f.)
(French) spaniel (breed of dog)
épais, épaisse
(French) thick
Épaisseur
(French f.) thickness
Epanados
repeating a word in the middle of a clause in either the opening or the conclusion of the same sentence for artistic effect
Epanalepsis
repeating a word from the beginning of a clause or phrase at the end of the same clause or phrase
(French, literally 'shouldering') in dance, the placing of the shoulders. A term used to indicate a movement of the torso from the waist upward, bringing one shoulder forward and the other backwith the head turned or inclined over the forward shoulder. The two fundamental positions of épaulement are croisé and effacé. When épaulement is used the position of the head depends upon the position of the shoulders and the shoulder position depends upon the position of the legs. Épaulement gives the finishing artistic touch to every movement and is a characteristic feature of the modern classical style compared to the old French style, which has little épaulement
Épaulement from which this information has been taken
épauler
(French) to raise (an army), to support (aid)
Epaulettes
shoulder ornament or trimming designed to give effect of width to shoulder line; originated as a device to hold shoulder belt and protect shoulder during wartime
Épave
(French f.) wreck
EPC
abbreviation of 'Educational Publishers' Council', 'evaporative pattern-casting'
EPCS
acronym for 'electronic page composition system'
see 'digital page composition'
EPD
abbreviation of 'earliest practicable date'
Épée
(French f.) a sword, the foil (with a point protected by a button) used in fencing
épeler
(French) to spell
Epenthesis
also called infixation, adding an extra syllable or letters in the middle of a word. Epenthesis has resulted in new words in English - the word 'thimble' developed from an earlier word 'thimel'
éperdu
(French) wild, frantic
éperdument
(French) wildly, frantically
Épergne
(English, from the French épargne, literally 'economy') or dessus de table, an ornamental centre-piece for a dinner-table
Éperon
(French m.) spur
éperonner
(French) to spur, to spur on
Épervier
(French m.) sparrow-hawk
Ephebus (s.), Ephebi (pl.)
(Latin from Greek) a young man (originally, a Greek citizen between 18 and 20 years of age)
Ephemera
written and printed matter published with a short intended lifetime
(English from Greek) any person or thing that has only a transitory existence
Épi
(French m) ear (wheat, etc.)
E-Piano
(German n.) short for elektronisches Piano (German n.), 'electronic piano', 'electric piano'
Epiaula
(Greek) the ancient Greek song of the millers
EPIC
abbreviation of 'Engineering and Production Information Council'
Epic
in its most specific sense, a genre of classical poetry. The term applies most accurately to classical Greek texts like the Iliad and the Odyssey
epicamente
(Italian) in an epic style
Épice
(French f.) spice
épicé
(French) spicy
Epicede
(English) epicedium
Epicède
(French) epicedium
Epicedio
(Italian) epicedium, an elegy, dirge, funeral song or ode
Epicedion (s.), Epicedia (pl.)
(Anglicized Greek) epicedium (Latin), an elegy, dirge, funeral song or ode
Epicedium (s.), Epicedia (pl.)
(Latin) epikedeion (Greek), funeral song, elegy
Epicene pronoun
a gender-neutral pronoun for human beings. English does have gender-neutral pronouns for objects (it, its), but it does not have epicene pronouns for people - only masculine and feminine ones (he, him, his or she, her, her). Increasingly, common speech has been using the plural pronouns they, them, and their to fulfil this function, though this often grates on the ears of traditional grammarians when this plural pronoun is applied to a singular antecedent
highly dramatic musical theatre associated with Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) and Kurt Weill (1900-1950). The Threepenny Opera, Brecht and Weill's most famous collaboration was first performed in 1928. It was revolutionary for its staging, which ignored conventions like the 'fourth wall' as well as using slide projections simultaneously with live action, for the way that the actors broke character, carrying picket signs or conversing with the audience, and for the fact that the roots of its music lay in cabaret and jazz rather than the classical genre. Brecht wanted to create a new form of theatre, one he called 'Epic', one designed to raise political awareness in its audience
Epic simile
a formal and sustained simile. Like a regular simile, an epic simile makes a comparison between one object and another using "like" or "as." However, unlike a regular simile, which often appears in a single sentence, the epic simile appears in the genre of the epic and it may be developed at great length, often up to fifty or a hundred lines
abbreviation of Epictetus (Greek Stoic philosopher (c.55-110 AD))
Epic trance
see 'uplifting trance'
Epicureanism
the Greek philosophy of Epicurus, who espoused a life of gentle hedonism ameliorated by rational moderation. In late Roman times, aristocrats adopted and perverted the older Greek Epicurean doctrine. They focused on overindulgence. Food, wine, entertainment, and slave girls became the chief pleasures
(Greek, literally 'a fifth above') canon at the fifth
Epidotonos
(Italian) the third above
épier
(French) to spy on
Epigone
(Greek) disciple, follower, imitator, usually in a later generation
Epigoneion
(Greek) also epigonion or epigonium, a 40 string kithara placed and played on one's knees, epi gonatos although others suggest the instrument is named after its inventor. or introducer, Epigonus
Epigonos
(Greek, literally 'born after') the sons of the chiefs that fell in the first war against Thebes were called epigonoi, meaning 'after-born'. The expression has been applied to those composers who follows paths established by their predecessors rather than striking out on their own
Epigram
(from Greek epigramma, 'an inscription') What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole, / its body brevity, / and wit its soul. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English critic & poet (1772-1834)
a short verse or motto appearing at the beginning of a longer poem or the title page of a novel, at the heading of a new section or paragraph of an essay or other literary work to establish mood or raise thematic concerns
an inscription in verse or prose on a building, tomb, or coin
(Greek, literally 'written upon') the study of inscriptions or epigraphs engraved into stone or other permanent materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them. The person who studies this is called an epigrapher. The study of ancient handwriting, usually in ink, is a separate field, paleography
(Greek) the ancient Greek song of the grape-gatherers
Épilepsie
(French f.) epilepsy
Épileptique
(French m./f.) epileptic
épileptique
(French) epileptic
épiler
(French) to remove unwanted hair from, to pluck (hair)
Epilog
(German n.) epilogue
a term coined by Wilhelm Fischer to describe a cadential phrase, especially in a Vivalian ritornello, the reestablishes the tonic key
Epilogue
in music, concluding piece or part, coda
a conclusion added to a literary work such as a novel, play, or long poem. It is the opposite of a prologue
Épilogue
(French m.) epilogue, outcome (figurative)
Epimythium
a summary of the moral of the fable appearing at the end of the main narrative. If it is found at the beginning of the narrative, it is called a promythium
Épinard
(French m.) spinach (plant)
Épinards
(French m.) spinach (food)
Épine
(French f.) thorn, prickle, spine (of an animal)
Épine dorsale
(French f.) backbone
Épinette
(French f., literally 'spinet') often used in France as a general word to refer to any jack-action instrument including, at times, the harpsichord
Épinette á l'italienne
(French f., literally 'Italian-style spinet') term used in France during the 17th- and 18th-centuries to refer to bentside spinets
Épinette des Vosges
(French f.) French instrument of the dulcimer family, it is oblong, often with 7 strings, 3 of which are fretted
(Italian, after the Greek) song of victory, a triumphal song
Epinicion (s.), Epinicia (pl.)
(after the Greek) or epinicium, song of victory, a triumphal song
Epiodion
(Greek) funeral song
Epionion
(Greek) epigoneion
Epiph.
abbreviation of 'Epiphany'
Epiphany
feast of the 6th January, associated with the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus
the sudden realisation or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something. The term was widely used, in this sense, by James Joyce in his critical writings, and the stories in Joyce's Dubliners are commonly called 'epiphanies'
Christian thinkers used this term to signify a manifestation of God's presence in the world
Epiphany villancicos
capitalizing on the non-biblical tradition that one magus traveled from Ethiopia, they tend to employ literary stereotypes of ethnic others in order to stress the idea of the universality of the Roman church. Subgenres of stereotyped villancicos, including the negrilla and the jácara, dramatize groups of ethnic others and low-class Spaniards adoring the Christ child through dance and song. Musical settings of such texts feature asymmetric rhythms and hemiola patterns seemingly evocative of popular genres, yet unequivocally characteristic of elite Spanish musics
(Latin, from Greek) a secondary development, a secondary symptom
épique
(French) epic
Epis.
abbreviation of 'Episcopalian', 'epistle'
Episcopal
in relation to the authority of a bishop
Episcopus vagans (s.), Episcopi vagantes (pl.)
(Latin) a 'wandering' bishop (a bishop with no see who is free to administer priest's order in any part of the world)
Episode
épisode (French), divertissement (French), sviluppo (Italian), elaborazione (Italian), episodio (Spanish)
a subsiduary or subordinate part of a work, a digression. For example, the music written between the repeated section (or refrain) of a rondo, or between the entries of the subjects in a fugue or sonata. The episode in a fugue, which lies between appearances of the theme, is a medium for modulation from one key, or groups of keys, to another
a scene involving the actors' dialogue and action rather than the chorus's singing, or sections of such scenes in a classical Greek tragedy. Divisions separating the episodes were called stasima. During the stasima, the chorus sang. Note that Greek tragedies were performed without any breaks or intermissions
Épisode
(French m.) episode
Episodia
the Greek word for episode
Episodic
occurring in a long string of short, individual scenes, stories, or sections, rather than focusing on the sustained development of a single plot
Episodical form
an example of ternary or ABA form, episodical form consists of three parts: statement of the principal theme, an episode (for example, in a rondo, a theme or subject matter of secondary importance to the principal theme), and finally a repeat of the principal theme
a term sometimes used synonymously with 'rondo form'
episodicamente
(Italian) in the manner of an episode
episodico
(Italian) episodic, digressive
episódico (m.), episódico (f.)
(Spanish) episodic, digressive
Episodio
(Spanish m.) episode
episodio
(Italian) episodic, digressive
Episódio
(Portuguese m.) episode
Episódio harmônico
(Portuguese m.) harmonic episode
Episódio melódico
(Portuguese m.) melodic episode
épisodique
(French) occasional
episodisch
(German) in the manner of an episode
Epistle
a recited section of the mass that precedes the gradual
a poem addressed to a patron, friend, or family member, thus a kind of "letter" in verse
an actual prose letter sent to another
a distinct part or section of such a poem or letter
Epistle Sonatas
at various times they have been called 'Organ Sonatas', 'Epistle Sonatas', 'Sonatas for Various Instruments with Organ', 'Festival Sonatas', Sonata da chiesa, and 'Church Sonatas', but in his autographs Mozart simply called them 'Sonata' and in a letter he referred to them as Sonate all' epistola (Sonata at the Epistle)
of or pertaining to a letter, epistle or personal correspondence
a liturgical book containing the Epistle readings for the Mass arranged according to the liturgical year
Epistolary love affair
an affair carried out through the medium of love letters
Epistolary novel
a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used
Epistolary style
a style based around letters or other forms of personal correspondence
Epistolographie
(German f.) letter writing, composition of letters
Epistrophe
(from the Greek) in music, the recurrence at the end of a movement of a melody which had appeared in another movement of the same work
repetition of a concluding word or word endings: "He's learning fast; are you earning fast?" When the epistrophe focuses on sounds rather than entire words, we normally call it rhyme
literally, an inscription carved on a gravestone, also known as a cenotaph. In a more general sense, an epitaph is the final statement spoken by a character before his death
Épitaphe
(French f.) epitaph
Epithalamas
(French) epithalamium
Epithalamion (s.), Epithalamia (pl.)
(Greek) wedding song, a nuptial song or ode, sung in classical Greece outside the bride's room on her wedding night, a tradition revived by Renaissance poets and later enjoyed a brief respite during the Romantic period
Epithalamium (s.), Epithalamia (pl.)
Latin term for epithalamion
Epithet
a short, poetic nickname, often in the form of an adjective or adjectival phrase, attached to the normal name. Frequently, this technique allows a poet to extend a line by a few syllables in a poetic manner that characterizes an individual or a setting within an epic poem
a series of extracts from or condensed version of a written work, an abridgment, a compendium
Epitome musicale, l' (1556)
short form of the title of Epitome musical, sons et accordz, es voix humaines, fleustes d'Alleman, fluestes ... neuf trous, violes, et violons, written by Philibert Jambe de Fer (c.1520-c.1566), published in Lyon, and which includes information about the recorder, the transverse flute, the viola da gamba and members of the violin family
Épître
(French f.) epistle
Épîtres farcies
(French f. pl., literally 'glossed or farsed epistles') vernacular contrafacta of tunes such as the hymn Veni creator, commenting on the Latin epistles. A farse was a word or phrase inserted into the ordained words of prayers and of the Roman Catholic Mass. From the 9th to the 12th centuries, tropes (extra phrases) began to be added both to the music and to the texts of the Latin liturgy
also palilogia or diacope, the uninterrupted repetition of a single word or phrase, or repetition with only one or two words between each repeated word or phrase
abbreviation of 'effective perceived noise decibels'
EPNS
abbreviation of 'electroplated nickel silver'
Época medieval
(Spanish f.) medieval period
Epode
(from the Greek) the concluding part of an ode
e poi
(Italian) and then
e poi la coda
(Italian) and then to the coda
e poi segue la coda
(Italian) and then follows the coda
Epoist
a writer of epic poetry
Éponge
(French f.) sponge
éponge, baguette d'
(French f.) a sponge-headed drum stick
éponger
(French) to sponge up (liquid), to sponge down (a surface), to mop, to wipe out (debts)
Eponym
a word that is derived from the proper name of a person or place
Eponymous archon
an official in classical Athens. The holder of this office arranged the production of tragedies and comedies at annual festivals honouring Dionysus. Each year was named after the officiating eponymous archon
(French f.) qualifying heat (sport, etc.), qualifying round (sport, etc.)
épris (m.), éprise (m.)
(French) captivated, on the point of falling in love
EPROM
abbreviation of 'erasable programmable read-only memory'
éprouvé
(French) proven, well-proven
éprouvant (m.), éprouvante (f.)
(French) testing
éprouver
(French) to test, to experience, to distress
Éprouvette
(French f.) test-tube
EPT
abbreviation of 'ethylene-propylene terpolymer' (a synthetic rubber)
Eptacorde
(French f.) a scale of seven notes
(French) the interval of a seventh
a seven-stringed lyre of the Greeks
Eptacordo
(Italian m.) eptacorde
Eptaméride
or heptaméride, 1/301 part of an octave. Both spellings are used by Sauveur (see méride and savart). Sauveur's rule to find the number of eptamérides of intervals smaller than 7/6 is as follows: multiply the difference of numerator and denominator with 875 and divide by the sum of numerator and denominator and round the result to the nearest integer. This is known as the bimodular method of approximating logarithms and can be used for other measures as well
(Greek) or 'Heptanesian cantatha', the songs of the Ionian islands, which during the Ottoman period of mainland Greece were under Italian rule and influence. The songs known as Eptanissian, became the forerunners of the Greek modern song
épuisé
(French) out of print (book, etc.)
épuisé (m.), épuisée (f.)
(French) exhausted, worn out
Épuisement
(French m.) exhaustion
épuiser
(French) to exhaust (tire)
Épuisette
(French f.) fishing-net
Épuration
(French f.) purification, purge (politics)
épurer
(French) to purify, to purge (politics)
Epus.
abbreviation of Episcopus (Latin: Bishop)
eq.
abbreviation of 'equal', 'equate', 'equation', 'equator', 'equatorial', 'equipment', 'equity', 'equivalent'
eqn
abbreviation of 'equation'
eqpt
abbreviation of 'equipment'
equabile
(Italian) equable
(Italian) even, uniform, alike, equal
equabilmente
(Italian) equably, similarly, smoothly, evenly
Equale (s.), Equali (pl.)
(Italian, literally 'equal') or eguale, in 18th- and early 19th-centuries, the music for a funeral quartet of trombones
music for any quartet where all the instruments are the same
Equal counterpoint
counterpoint using equal temperament
Equal interval method
Lyle "Spud" Murphy spent many years teaching his composing and arranging process and among the noted musicians who trained under him were the pianists Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock and Gerald "Wig" Wiggins, the trumpeter Quincy Jones and the flautist Buddy Collette. David Blumberg, who wrote arrangements for the Grammy-winning Ray Charles album Genius Loves Company, teaches courses on Murphy's method, which he describes as "a simple way to deal with 12 notes by using six intervals. And that use of six intervals, when mastered, would allow anyone to write any style of music freely." The method, says Blumberg, "is an encyclopaedia of musical tools that you can use all your life"
Equalisation
(English, German f.) the result of using a device called an 'equaliser'
Equaliser
(English, German m.) or equalizer', a device, which allows attenuation or emphasis of selected frequencies in the audio spectrum. Equalizers usually contain many bands to allow the user a fine degree of frequency control over the sound
a measure of sound pressure (dB SPL), over the frequency spectrum, for which a listener perceives a constant loudness. The unit of measurement for loudness levels is the phon, and by definition two sine waves that have equal phons are equally loud
the modern method of tuning, also called '12-tet', '12-eq', '12edo', '12-et' or '12-equal', where the interval of an octave is exact (2:1) and the interval, expressed as the ratio of the two frequencies, between each successive semitone is equal to the twelfth root of 2 (i.e. 2^(1/12))
Tom Dent, in a contribution to the clavichord yahoo group, writes "Every equal temperament can be obtained by dividing the octave into equal intervals. Every equal temperament (including those with 19, 31, etc. notes per octave) is regular, but not every regular temperament
is equal. A regular temperament is equal if and only if it has a closed cycle of fifths - i.e. you get back to the starting pitch
after a fixed number of steps."
notes
frequency Hz (octaves)
A
55.00
110.00
220.00
440.00
880.00
A#
58.27
116.54
233.08
466.16
932.32
B
61.74
123.48
246.96
493.92
987.84
C
65.41
130.82
261.64
523.28
1046.56
C#
69.30
138.60
277.20
554.40
1108.80
D
73.42
146.84
293.68
587.36
1174.72
D#
77.78
155.56
311.12
622.24
1244.48
E
82.41
164.82
329.64
659.28
1318.56
F
87.31
174.62
349.24
698.48
1396.96
F#
92.50
185.00
370.00
740.00
1480.00
G
98.00
196.00
392.00
784.00
1568.00
G#
103.83
207.66
415.32
830.64
1661.28
by removing the twelfth root of the Pythagorean comma from each interval in a chain of twelve fifths (3/2), the Pythagorean 3-limit scale is tempered to fit the 2-limit equal temperament (based on powers of 2/1)
originally the term applied to choral works where all the voices were identical, for example, sopranos
the term is now used to indicated all voices of the same type, i.e. boy's voices (soprano and alto), women's voices (soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto) or male voices (tenor, baritone and bass)
Équateur
(French m.) equator
Équation
(French f.) equation
Equator
the great circle on the surface of a body formed by the intersection of the surface of the body and the plane passing through the centre of the body at right angles to the axis of rotation
équatorial
(French) equatorial
Équatorial (s.) équatoriaux (pl.)
(French m.) equatorial
Équerre
(French f.) set square, square
Équestrienne
(pseudo-French) a female horse-rider, a female circus rider
this word does not exist in standard French
equil.
abbreviation of 'equilibrium'
Equilibre
(French m.) balance
équilibré
(French) well-balanced
équilibrer
(French) to balance
Équilibriste
(French m./f.) tightrope walker
Equilibrium
(Latin) a state of even balance, neutrality or indifference in judgment
Équinoxe
(French m.) equinox
equip.
abbreviation of 'equipment'
Équipage
(French m.) crew
Equipamento
(Portuguese) 'gear' (the colloquial term for the equipment of a band)
Équipe
(French f) team
Équipe de jour
(French f.) day shift
Équipe de nuit
(French f.) night shift
Équipée
(French f.) escapade
Équipement
(French m.) equipment
Équipements
(French m. pl.) amenities, facilities
équiper
(French) to equip
équiper de
(French) to equip with
Équipier (m.), Équipière (f.)
(French) team member
Equisonance
the consonance of the unison and its octaves
Equisonant
of the same, or like sound (thus, a unison, octaves, double octave, etc.)
in guitar music, a term used to express the different ways of stopping the same note
Equisonnance
(French) the consonance of the unison and its octaves
Equisono
(Italian) equisonant, i.e. in unison, octaves, double octave, etc.
équitable
(French) fair
équitablement
(French) fairly
Équitation
(French f.) riding, horse-riding
Équité
(French f.) equity
equiv.
abbreviation of 'equivalent'
Équivalence
(French f.) equivalence
Équivalence des octaves
(French f.) octave equivalence
Equivalence interval
also called 'interval of equivalence' or 'formal octave' is that interval (much larger than a unison) which, when it occurs between two pitches, they are considered to be, in some sense, (formally if not perceptibly) the same note. For most scales this is the octave 2:1
équivalent (m.), équivalente (f.)
(French) equivalent
Equivalente enarmónica
(Spanish f.) enharmonic equivalent
Equivalent rectangular bandwidth
the equivalent rectangular bandwidth or 'ERB' is a measure used in psychoacoustics
chords that by a slight change in notation belong to more than one key
Equivocal chord
a chord which can be resolved into several distinct keys, one whose intervals, being all minor thirds, do not clearly indicate its fundamental tone or root, i.e. the diminished triad, and the diminished seventh chord
Equivocale
(Italian) equivocal
equivocarse
(Spanish) to be mistaken
Equivoque
see 'pun'
Équivoque
(French f.) ambiguity
équivoque
(French) equivocal, questionable
ER
abbreviation of Eduardus Rex (Latin: King Edward), Elizabeth Regina (Latin: Queen Elizabeth), 'efficiency report', 'emergency room'
er
abbreviation of 'elder'
Érable
(French m.) Ahorn (German m.), Esdoorn (Dutch), legno di acero (Italian m.), maple
(German m.) the Spirit of the Earth whom Johann Wolfgang von Goethe describes in Faust, Part 1, widely considered to be one of the greatest works in the history of German literature. Goethe depicts Erdgeist as a timeless being who endlessly weaves at the Time-Loom - both in life and in death. In this conception, Erdgeist is the means by which the immaterial becomes manifest
in the German language, erdgeist literally means Earth spirit. In the context of German folklore, erdgeist specifically refers to a gnome, the quintessential earth elemental invented by Paracelsus
(French) to exhaust, to criticize severely (figurative)
Eremetical
relating to the life of a hermit
Eremita
(Italian m.) hermit
Eremite
a religious hermit, one who deliberately lives alone seeking spiritual enlightenment in the desert, forest, or wilderness
Eremwu eu
a rhythmic a cappella song of the Garifuna of Honduras and Belize
Eresia
(Italian f.) heresy
Eretico
(Italian m./f.) heretic
eretico
(Italian) heretical
eretto
(Italian) erect
Erezione
(Italian f.) erection, building
erfahren
(German) experienced
Erfahrung
(German f.) experience
erfinderisch
(German) ingenious (person)
Erfolg
(German m.) success
erfreulich
(German) joyful, rejoicing
Ergänzung
(German f.) supplement
Ergänzungband
(German m.) supplement (to a book)
Ergastulum (s.), Ergastula (pl.)
(Latin) a private prison or place of punishment for slaves
ergo
(Latin) therefore
ergoter
(French) to quibble
ergriffen
(German) struck, affected, gripped, stirred, deeply moved
Ergriffenheit
(German f.) emotion, agitation
erhaben
(German) sublime, exalted, lofty, noble
Erhabenheit
(German f.) sublimity, nobility
erhaltene Werke
(German) surviving works
erheben
(German) to raise, to elevate, to lift up the hand (for example, when beating time)
erhebend
(German) rising, alzando (Italian), en élevant, (French)
Erhebung
(German f.) raising (for example, the pitch of a note), elevation (for example, of the hand when beating time)
Erhebungszeichen
(German n.) a sign that indicates the chromatic raising of the pitch of a note, i.e. a sharp or double sharp sign
erhöhen
(German) to raise, to elevate, to lift up the hand (for example, when beating time)
erhöhte Sitz
(German m.) a dais
Erhöhung
(German f.) raising (for example, the pitch of a note), elevation (for example, of the hand when beating time)
Erhöhungszeichen
(German n.) signe d'élévation (French m.), a sign that indicates the chromatic raising of the pitch of a note, i.e. a sharp or double sharp sign
Erhu
(Chinese) or er-hu, a Chinese bowed instrument, also called the hu-qin or nanhu, similar to a violin but with only two strings (tuned a fifth apart) and a range of three octaves, which, although dating back to the Song Dynasty (c.1100 AD), has been used as a solo instrument only since the early twentieth century. The instrument measures around three feet long with a long neck and a relatively small soundbox three or four inches in diameter and five to six inches deep available in several shapes (round, hexagonal, or octagonal). The scroll is often decorated with a carving of a dragon's head or a crescent moon and the soundbox is often decorated. The erhu is also used with a metal clamp or silk string clamp that acts as a capo to change the open pitches of the strings. The bow is made of bamboo. The sound of the erhu is similar to a violin although much thinner in its timbre
name
description
use
panhu
'piccolo' form that sounds one octave higher then the standard erhu
in a Chinese orchestra, the principal erhu player will perform on it as required
gaohu
sounds a fourth higher than the standard erhu
developed from the erhu by the renowned Cantonese musician Lui Man-shing in the 1920s
erhu
the standard instrument
during the period 1910-1930, the celebrated musician Liu Tianhua developed the instrument from being mainly an accompanying instrument to that of a solo instrument. It is now one of the main instruments in the Chinese orchestra
zhonghu
'alto' erhu, available in three different sizes
plays tenor parts, those played below the parts played by the standard erhu. These parts are also played by the gehu and the bei-da-ge-hu
(German) spento (Italian), stinto (Italian), extinguished, very quiet, éteint (French)
Er machte ein langes Gesicht.
(German) His face fell.
Ermangelung
(German f.) lack
ermattend
(German) tiring, weakening, becoming exhausted
ermattet
(German) exhausted, wearied
Ermite
(French m.) hermit
Ermunterung
(German f.) animation, rousing, excitation
ernia del disco
(Italian) slipped disc
erniedrigen
(German) to lower (pitch)
Erniedrigung
(German f.) the lowering of the pitch of a note
Erniedrigungszeichen
(German n.) signe d'abaissement (French m.), a sign that indicates the chromatic lowering of the pitch of a note, i.e. a flat or double flat sign
Ernst
(German m.) seriousness
ernst
(German) earnest, serious, grave
ernste Musik
(German f.) serious music
ernsthaft
(German) serious, seriously
Ernsthaftigkeit
(German) earnestness, seriousness
ernstig
(Dutch) grave
ernstlich
(German) earnest, fervent, ardent, grave
Ernstlichkeit
(German) earnestness
Ernst, und mit steigender Lebhalfigkeit
(German) earnestly and with increasing vivacity
éroder
(French) to erode
Eröffnung
(German f.) opening, beginning
Eröffnungsstück
(German m.) overture
eroico (m.), eroica (f.)
(Italian) heroic
Érosion
(French f.) erosion
Erotema
also called erotesis, in literature, the posing of a rhetorical question to the reader
Erotic
as an adjective, this word signifies something that is amatory, pertaining to or treating of love
as a subjective it designates an amorous poem or composition
Erotica
(Italian f.) love-song
Erotikon
(German) love-song
érotique
(French) erotic
Érotisme
(French m.) eroticism
Erotosis
another term for erotema
Errata
(Latin pl.) a list of printed errors appended to a printed book
Erratum (s.), Errata (pl.)
(Latin) an error in a printed text that comes about from transposed letters, missing lines of text, or simple typesetting errors resulting from a printer or a printer's apprentice's mistake while assembling the text on the press
errar
(Spanish) to err, to be mistaken
errare
(Italian) to err, to be mistaken
erregbar
(German) excitable
erregen
(German) to excite, to arouse
erregend
(German) exciting
Erreger
(German m.) a germ (medicine)
erregt
(German) concitato (Italian), agitato (Italian), in an agitated and excited manner, expressing emotion, excited, fast, hurried, restless, heated, unruhig (German), agité (French)
Erregung
(German f.) excitement, agitation
errer
(French) to wander
Erreur
(French f.) mistake, error
Erreur judiciaire
(French f.) miscarriage of justice
erron.
abbreviation of 'erroneous', 'erroneously'
erroné
(French) erroneous
Errore
(Italian m.) error, mistake, misprint (in printing)
Ersatz
(English, French m., German m.) substitute, not genuine, inferior
(Spanish f.) also called escala de do mayor, the scale of C major
Escala diatónica menor
(Spanish f.) minor scale
Escala diatônica menor
(Portuguese) minor scale
Escala dórica
(Spanish f.) Dorian modal scale
Escala enarmónica
(Spanish f.) enharmonic scale
Escala en modo griego
(Spanish f.) Greek modal scale
Escala en modo mayor
(Spanish f.) major scale
Escala en modo menor
(Spanish f.) minor scale
Escala eolia
(Spanish f.) Aeolian modal scale
Escala frigia
(Spanish f.) Phrygian modal scale
Escala hexatónica
(Spanish f.) or escala de un tono completo, whole-tone scale
Escala hexatônica
(Portuguese f.) whole-tone scale
Escala javanesa slendro tradicional
(Spanish f.) traditional Javanese slendro scale
Escala jónica
(Spanish f.) Ionian modal scale
Escala locria
(Spanish f.) Locrian modal scale
Escala maior
(Portugese) major scale
Escala mayor
(Spanish f.) major scale
Escala mayor armónica
(Spanish f.) harmonic major scale
Escala mayor melódica
(Spanish f.) melodic major scale
Escala mayor pentatónica
(Spanish f.) pentatonic major scale
Escala menor
(Spanish f., Portuguese) minor scale
Escala menor armónica
(Spanish f.) harmonic minor scale
Escala menor eólica
see escala menor natural
Escala menor melódica
(Spanish f.) melodic minor scale
Escala menor natural
(Spanish f.) or escala menor eólica, natural minor scale
Escala menor pentatónica
(Spanish f.) pentatonic minor scale
Escala microtonal
(Spanish f.) microtonal scales
Escala mixolidia
(Spanish f.) Mixolydian modal scale
Escala modal
(Spanish f.) modal scale
Escala musical
(Spanish f.) musical scale
Escala octatónica
(Spanish f.) octotonic scale
Escala pentatónica
(Spanish f.) pentatonic scale
Escala relativa
(Spanish f.) relative scale (for example, A minor and C major, so called because they are constructed using the same notes)
Escala siamesa tradicional
(Spanish f.) traditional Siamese scale
Escala tailandesa tradicional
(Spanish f.) traditional Thai scale
Escalator
(English, French m.) moving stairway
Escale
(French f.) stopover of a fight), port of call
escaleras arriba
(Spanish) upstairs
Escales
(Catalan f. pl.) (musical) scales
Escalier
(French m.) stairs
Escalier mécanique
(French m.) escalator
Escalier roulant
(French m.) escalator
Escalope
(English, French f.) thin slice of raw meat
escamotable
(French) retractable (technical)
escamoter
(French) to make vanish, to dodge (evade)
Escandescenza
(Italian f.) outburst
Escape literature
not to be confused with escapist literature, escape literature (also called literature of escape) includes books and short stories about desperate protagonists escaping from confinement
the mechanism in a piano that allows the hammer to 'escape' after a string has been struck, so leaving the string to vibrate. Double escapement allows a hammer to strike a second time without waiting for the key to rise to its normal position of rest
a mechanism that regulates the use of mechanical energy, found, for example, in weight-driven orchestrions
Escape note
or 'escape tone', non-harmonic note (tone), the opposite of an appoggiatura, being approached by a tone (whole step) or semitone (half step) and resolving to a chord note by a leap
Escape tone
see 'escape note'
Escapism
the desire to retreat into imaginative entertainment rather than deal with the stress, tedium, and daily problems of the mundane world
Escapist literature
not to be confused with escape literature, escapist literature is designed primarily for imaginative entertainment rather than readings designed for provoking thought or addressing serious social issues
(French m.) snail (particularly one that is edible)
Escarmouche
(French f.) skirmish
escarpé
(French) steep
Escarpin
(French m.) pump
Escena
(Spanish f.) stage
eschat.
abbreviation of 'eschatology'
Eschatological narrative
eschatalogy in Christian theology is the study of the end of things, including the end of the world, life-after-death, and the Last Judgment. An eschatalogical narrative refers to a story dealing with these matters, a story which explains what the ultimate ending or conclusion of something
(Greek eschaton, 'last', and logos, 'word') the science of the end of the world and beginning of a new world, and of the last things, death and resurrection
Eschequier
in 1360 King Edward III of England gave King John of France, a prisoner at that time, an instrument made by Jehan Perrot called eschequier. Guillaume de Machault did not include the eschequier in his detailed inventory, Li temps pascour, written in 1340. In 1377 Machault does refer to the eschaquir d' Engleterre in his poem La Prise d' Alexandrie. Eugene Deschamps mentions the eschequier in 1378. In 1388 King John of Aragon wrote his brother-in-law, Philippe the Bold, to send him an instrument which he describes as similar to the organ but sounding with strings which he calls exaquier. In 1511 the Duke of Lothringen buys an instrument described as faisant l'echiquier, orgues, espinette et fluctes, meaning that it should consist of a small organ, a spinet, and an eschicquier. There are no pictures, detailed descriptions, or examples of an eschaquier in existence but some deductions can be made. It had keys and strings, therefore was not an organ. The strings were not plucked because the last example refers to an instrument consisting of a spinet as well as an organ, and an eschicquier. A spinet is a small strung instrument which uses quills to pluck the strings. In 1404, Eberhard Cersne of Minden mentions a schachbrett which is German for eschaquier. Cersne notes differences between the clavichordium and the schachbrett by describing them separately. It was likely, therefore, a hammer action. The last known mention of this instrument is in 1560 by Antonius Arena, who mentions the exacherium as a dance instrument.
(Italian f.) exclamation (a feature of early Italian song)
Esclandre
(French m.) a 'scene' (disturbance), a public scandal
Esclavage
(French m.) slavery
Esclave
(French m./f.) slave
escludere
(Italian) to exclude
Esclusione
(Italian f.) exclusion
Esclusivo
(Italian f.) sole right
esclusivo
(Italian) exclusive
ESCO
also UNESCO, abbreviation of 'Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation' of the UN
Escobero
(Uruguay) the young man who leads the tambores through the streets, dancing with a headless broomstick twirling behind his back and up and down his arms, also called escobillero
Escobilla
in flamenco, a dance step that mirrors the sweeping movement of a broom. Originally, escobillas referred to the small brushing steps which allowed female dancers to disply the beauty of their feet and arms, but today, the term refers also to an extended sequence of footwork combinations including heelwork designed to demonstrate the proficiency of the dancer
Escocesa
(Spanish f.) écossaise
escogidamente
(Spanish) discerningly
escogido (m.), escogida (f.)
(Spanish) chosen, selected, choice, select
Escogimiento
(Spanish m.) choice, selection, pick, choosing, selecting, picking
escogitare
(Italian) to contrive
Escolania
(Spanish f.) (church) choir
Escolar
(Spanish m./f.) schoolboy, schoolgirl
escolar
(Spanish) scholastic, school
Escolaridad
(Spanish f.) schooling, education
escolástico (m.), escolástica (f.)
(Spanish) scholastic
Escollo
(Spanish m.) reef, rock, pitfall (figurative), snag (figurative)
Escompte
(French m.) discount
escompter
(French) to expect, to discount (commerce)
Escondido
an Argentine dance called escondido where the female partner hides from the male
(Spanish f.) phonetic script, writing (of a person), handwriting
Escritura orquestal
(Spanish f.) orchestral writing
Escroc
(French m.) swindler
escroquer
(French) to swindle
Escroquerie
(French f.) swindle
Escuela
(Spanish f.) school
Escuela alemana
(Spanish f.) German school
Escuela de polifonía española
(Spanish f.) Spanish school of polyphony
Escuela de Notre Dame
(Spanish f.) Notre Dame school (organum)
Escuela de san Marcial
(Spanish f.) a school of organum, based near Limoges, France, noted for its melismatic style
Escuela normale
(Spanish f.) teacher-training college
Escuelas de samba
(Portuguese f. pl., literally 'samba schools') they have provided the vibrant rhythms of the Rio de Janeiro Carnaval since 1917, the music, an energetic mixture of Angolan semba, European polka and African batuques, developed in Brazil as a result of the arrival of black Brazilians in Rio's slums
escuela veneciana
(Spanish f.) Venetian school (a term applied to Venetian music of the 16th- and 17th-centuries by composer such as the Gabrielis, Schütz, etc.)
Escursione
(Italian f.) excursion, raid, range (temperature)
Escutcheon
a decorative metal pieces usually adorning a keyhole or handle, for example, on the lid of lockable piano lids, etc.
Esda
abbreviation of 'electrostatic deposition (or document) analysis', as in the Edsa test
es dabei belassen
(German) to leave it at that
es dabei bewendenlassen
(German) to leave it at that
es decir
(Spanish) that is to say
Esdoorn
(Dutch) Ahorn (German m.), Érable (French m.), legno di acero (Italian m.), maple
Es-Dur
(German n.) the key of 'E flat major'
esecrabile
(Italian) abominable
esecrare
(Italian) to abhor
Esecutivo
(Italian m.) executive
esecutivo
(Italian) executive
Esecutore (m.), Esecutrice (f.)
(Italian) executor, (musical) performer
Esecuzione
(Italian f.) execution, performance, musical performance, orchestration, implementation, carrying out
Esecuzione completa
(Italian f.) complete performance
Esecuzione d'insieme
(Italian f.) ensemble music
Esecuzione di un concerto
(Italian f.) concert performance
Esecuzione musicale
(Italian f.) musical performance
eseguire
(Italian) to carry out, to execute, to perform (music)
eseguire con successo
(Italian) to put across (successfully)
Eselsohren haben
(German) to be dog-eared (about a book)
Esempio
(Italian m.) example, model, pattern, copy
Esemplare
(Italian m.) specimen, examplar, copy
esemplare
(Italian) exemplary
esemplificare
(Italian) to exemplify
esentare
(Italian) to exempt
esentarsi (da)
(Italian) to free oneself (from)
esente
(Italian) exempt
esente da imposta
(Italian) duty-free
Esequie
(Italian f. pl.) funeral rites
Esercente
(Italian m./f.) shopkeeper
esercitare
(Italian) to exercise, to train, to exert, to practise (one's profession)
esercitarsi
(Italian) practise
Esercitazione
(Italian f.) exercise, drill (military)
Esercito
(Italian m.) army
Esercizio (s.), Esercizi (pl.)
(Italian m.) exercise(s), practice, financial year, business
Esercizio vocale
(Italian m.) vocal exercise
Eses, eses
(German n.) the note 'E double flat'
esférico
(Spanish) spherical
esforzando
(Spanish) sf, sfz, sforzando
ESG
in engineering, abbreviation of 'English Standard Gauge'
es geht bergauf
(German) things are looking up (figurative)
E sharp
mi diesis (Italian), Eis (German), mi dièse (French), the sharpened third degree of the scale of C major. This note has no solfggio name because the pitch is the same as that of the subdominant or fourth note (F) in the 'fixed do' system. However, 'E sharp' is necessary in certain instances such as the key of 'F sharp major' where 'E sharp' is the seventh note (subtonic or leading tone), or 'D sharp minor', where 'E sharp' is the second note (supertonic)
E sharp major
the key of 'E sharp major', enharmonically equivalent to the key of 'F major'
the scale of 'E sharp major'
E sharp minor
the key of 'E sharp minor', enharmonically equivalent to the key of 'F minor'
es hat zu unterbleiben
(German) it must stop
esibire
(Italian) to exhibit, to produce (documents)
esibirsi
(Italian) to perform (in the theatre), to exhibit oneself, to show off (figurative)
Esibizione
(Italian f.) exhibition, production, performance
esigente
(Italian) exacting; (pignolo) fastidious
Esigenza
(Italian f.) demand; (bisogno) need
esigere
(Italian) to demand; (riscuotere) to collect
esiguo
(Italian) meagre
esilarante
(Italian) exhilarating
esilarare
(Italian) to exhilarate
esile
(Italian) slender, thin (voice)
Esilio
(Italian m.) exile
esiliare
(Italian) to exile
esiliarsi
(Italian) to go into exile
Esiliato
(Italian m./f.) exile
esiliato
(Italian) exiled
esimere
(Italian) to release
esimersi da
(Italian) to get out of
esimio
(Italian) distinguished
esistente
(Italian) existing
Esistenza
(Italian f.) existence
esistenziale
(Italian) existential
Esistenzialismo
(Italian m.) existentialism
esistere
(Italian) exist
esitamento
(Italian) hesitation
esitando
(Italian) hesitating
(Italian) irresolutely
[information provided by Wesselin Christoph Karaatanassov]
esitante
(Italian) hesitating, faltering (of the voice)
E-sitar
a 17-string sitar neck, attached to a custom made electric guitar style body. All regular and sympathetic strings are steel, so that the sound can be amplified by the magnetic pickup system. It is played like a standard sitar, as the design puts the instrument in the correct playing position while strapped on, allowing the player freedom of movement
(Ethiopia) or eskeusta, a dance during which one raises the chest and shakes the shoulders
the feeling that accompanies a trance achieved by this dance
eskonnte nicht ausbleiben
(German) it was inevitable
Eskusoinu
see trikitixa
ESL
abbreviation of 'English as a second language'
es-Moll
(German n.) the key of 'E flat minor'
es mutet mich seltsam an
(German) it seems odd to me
es mutet mich vertraut an
(German) it seems familiar to me
esn.
or esntl, abbreviation of 'essential'
eso aparte
(Spanish) apart from that, aside from that
Esodo
(Italian m.) exodus
ESOL
abbreviation of 'English for speakers of other languages'
esonerare
(Italian) to exempt
Esonero
(Italian m.) exemption
eso no admite discusión
(Spanish) there can be no argument about that
esorbitante
(Italian) exorbitant
esorcizzare
(Italian) to exorcise
Esordio
(Italian m.) début
esornare
(Italian) to adorn, to embellish
esortare
(Italian) to beg, to urge
Esoteric music
specialized music designed for an elite audience that cannot understand or perform the music without special training
esoterico
(Italian) esoteric
esotico (m.), esotica (f.)
(Italian) exotic
ESP
abbreviated form of 'extrasensory perception'
Esp.
abbreviation of Espagne (French: Spain), España (Spanish: Spain), Esperanto
esp.
abbreviated form of espressivo (Italian: expressively), 'especially'
Espace
(French m.) space, for example, that between the lines on the staff
Espace insécable
(French m.) no-break space
espacer
(French) to space out
Espaces verts
(French m.) gardens, parks
Espacio
(Spanish m.) space, for example, that between the lines on the staff
Espadrille
(French f.) rope sandals
Espagne
(French f.) Spain
espagne
(French) Spanish
Espagnol (m.), Espagnole (f.)
(French) Spaniard
espagnol (m.), espagnole (f.)
(French) Spanish
Espagnole
(French f.) basic brown sauce
Espagnolette
(French f.) (window) catch
Espagnolo (m.), Espagnola (f.)
(Italian) Spaniard
espagnolo (m.), espagnola (f.)
(Italian) Spanish
Espagnuolo (m.), Espagnuola (f.)
(Italian) Spaniard
espagnuolo (m.), espagnuola (f.)
(Italian) Spanish
Espai
(Catalan m.) space (between the lines on the staff)
España Cañi
(Spanish) Spanish Gypsy song by Pascual Marquina Narro (1873-1948), the basis for a significant number of paso doble songs
espandendosi
(Italian) with growing intensity, extending, getting broader and fuller
espandere
(Italian) to expand, to spread (out)
espandersi
(Italian) to expand, to extend
Español
(Spanish m.) Spaniard, Spanish (language)
español
(Spanish) Spanish
españolizado
(Spanish) Hispanicized
Espansione
(Italian f.) expansion
espansivo
(Italian) expansive
espatriare
(Italian) to leave one's country
Espátula
(Spanish f.) palette knife (used in painting)
Espèce
(French f.) kind, sort, species
Espèces
(French f. pl.) cash (money)
especial
(Spanish) special
Especie (s.) Especies (pl.)
(Spanish f. pl.) kind, dort, specie
(Spanish) piece of news
Especificación
(Spanish f.) specification
Especimen
(Spanish m.) sample
Espectáculo
(Spanish m.) pageant, entertainment
Espectáculo de variedades
(Spanish m.) music-hall, variety show
Espectador
(Spanish m./f.) spectator
Espediente
(Italian m.) expedient
espellere
(Italian) to expel
espellere con proclama
(Italian) to read out of
Espérance
(French f.) hope
Esperanto
a flexible universal language developed by Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof. The first Esperanto Grammar was published in 1887. Esperanto was intended to be a universal second language to support better understanding between nations. The first Esperanto World Congress was held in 1905 to help spread these goals
(Italian) fading away, expiring, dying away, spirando, en expirant
(Italian) breathing deeply, with anxious endeavour
espirar
(Spanish) to breathe out
espirare
(Italian) to breathe out
Esplanade
(English, French f.) long open level area for walking on, usually beside the sea
esplicare
(Italian) to carry on
esplicito
(Italian) explicit
esplodere
(Italian) to explode, to fire
esplorare
(Italian) to explore
Esploratore (m.), Esploratrice (f.)
(Italian) explorer
Esplorazione
(Italian f.) exploration
Esplosione
(Italian f.) explosion
Esplosivo
(Italian m.) explosive
esplosivo
(Italian) explosive
Espoir
(French m.) hope
Esponente
(Italian m.) exponent
espontáneamente
(Spanish) spontaneously
Espontaneidad
(Spanish f.) spontaneity
espontaneo
(Spanish) spontaneous
esporre
(Italian) to expose, to display (goods), to expound, to exhibit
Esposa
(Spanish f.) wife
Esposo
(Spanish m.) husband
espr.
abbreviated form of espressivo (Italian: expressively)
espres.
or express., abbreviated form of espressivo (Italian: expressively)
Espressione
(Italian f.) expression. feeling
Espressivo
(Italian m.) Swell division in an organ
espressivo
(Italian) expressively, with feeling
espresso con immagini
(Italian) pictorial (expressed through pictures)
esprimere con diverse parole
(Italian) to paraphrase (express with other words)
esprimere con parole
(Italian) to express in words
Esprit
(French m.) spirit, mind (intellect), wit (humour), intelligence
from the sixteenth century on, for French authors the ruling part of the human soul was called the esprit, and the word was understood as denoting the mind, including reason and will
(French m.) the loyalty of the members of some body, association, etc., to their common traditions and interests
Esprit de notaire
(French m.) the soul of a lawyer, a pettifogging mind, a tendency to be overmuch concerned with trivial detail
Esprit d'escalier
(French m.) a witty remark or telling retort which comes to mind only after the occasion for its use has passed
Esprit fort
(French m.) a free-thinker
Esprit gaulois
(French m.) a spirit of mocking criticism
Esprit laïc
(French m.) an attitude of mind hostile to clerical or doctrinal influence (particularly, in educational institutions)
Esprit libre
(French m.) an untrammed spirit, freedom from care
Esq.
abbreviated form of 'Esquire', used in correspondence
ès qualités
(French) in an official capacity
esqo
abbreviated form of esquerdo (Portuguese: left)
Esquema
(Spanish m.) outline
Esquemático
(Spanish) sketchy
Esquerdo
(Portuguese) left
Esquimau, Esquimaude
(French) Eskimo
Esquimaux
(French m. pl.) Eskimo
esquinter
(French) to ruin
Esquisse
(French f.) the firts rough sketch for a picture, the first rough model for a statue, a suggestion (figurative)
esquisser
(French) to sketch, to make an attempt at
Esquive
(French f.) dodge (sport)
esquiver
(French) to dodge
Esraj
North Indian bowed instrument with 20 metal frets and 12 to 15 sympathetic strings, the base of the instrument is like a saringda while the neck and strings are like a sitar. It gives a sound very much like a sarangi without being as difficult to play. This instrument is often confused with dilruba because both are similar in construction and have a similar playing technique
(French m.) testing, test (prove), trial, try (attempt), essay (article), taste (food), sample (food)
Essaim
(French m.) swarm
essaimer
(French) to swarm, to spread (figurative)
Essayage
(French m.) fitting (of clothes)
essayer
(French) to try, to try on (clothes), to try out (car, etc.), to taste (food), to sample (food)
essayer de faire
(French) to try to do
esse
(Latin) essential nature, mere existance (as opposed to bene esse)
Essempio
see esempio
Essence
(French f.) petrol, gas (US)
essence (extract, nature)
Essential (s.), Essentials (pl.)
any sharp or flat that belongs to the current key signature
a sharp or flat than does not belong to the key signature is called an 'accidental'
Essential dissonance
dissonance that is essential to the harmony
Essential harmony
the fundamental triads of a particular key
a musical work stripped of all figuration and ornaments
Essential note
nota principale (Italian), Hauptnote (German), wesentliche Note (German), note intégrante (French), note réelle (French), note constitutive (French)
a note that belongs to the sequences of thirds that make up triads and seventh, ninth or eleventh chords, as distinct from any accidental, ornamental or passing note
Essential seventh
the leading note, the leading tone
dominant seventh
essentiel, l'
(French m.) the main thing, the main part
essentiel (m.), essentielle (f.)
(French) essential
essentiellement
(French) essentially
Essercizio
(Italian f.) alternative spelling of esercizio
essere accolto con
(Italian) to be met with
essere alla mano
(Italian) to be informal
essere all'asciutto
(Italian) to be hard up (figurative)
essere all'avanguardia
(Italian) to be in the forefront
essere alle prese con
(Italian) or lottare con (Italian), to struggle with, to grapple with
essere amico di
(Italian) to get along with
essere assorto in
(Italian) to be preoccupied
essere ben disposto verso
(Italian) to be favourably disposed towards
essere buono con
(Italian) to be nice to, to be good to
essere connesso con
(Italian) to relate to
essere d'accordo con
(Italian) to be in accord with, to agree with, to hold with
essere diretto a
(Italian) to be going to
essere duro con
(Italian) to be hard on
essere fissato con
(Italian) to live and breathe
essere generoso con
(Italian) to be generous with
essere gentile con ...
(Italian) be kind to ...
essere impegnato con
(Italian) to be preoccupied
essere impegnato da
(Italian) to be preoccupied
essere impegnato in
(Italian) to be preoccupied
essere in apprensione per
(Italian) to be anxious about
essere in armonia con
(Italian) to be in harmony with
essere in auge
(Italian) to be popular
essere in ballo
(Italian) to be at stake (figurative)
essere in bolletta
(Italian) to be hard up
essere in buoni rapporti con
(Italian) to be on good terms with
essere in combutta con
(Italian) to be in league with
essere in comunione spirituale con
(Italian) to commune with
essere in confidenza con
(Italian) to hob-nob with (colloquial)
essere in conflitto con
(Italian) to conflict with
essere in contatto con
(Italian) to be in touch with
essere in contrasto con
(Italian) to clash with
essere in corrispondenza con
(Italian) to correspond with, to be in correspondence with
essere in difetto
(Italian) to be at fault
essere in disaccordo con
(Italian) to take issue with, to disagree with
essere in discesa
(Italian) to go downhill
essere in gamba
(Italian) to be strong, to be smart
essere in gara con
(Italian) to contend with
essere in lotta
(Italian) to be in dispute
essere in orario
(Italian) be on time
essere in sintonia (con)
(Italian) to be in tune (with)
essere ossessionato con
(Italian) to be obsessed with
essere ossessionato da
(Italian) to be preoccupied
essere perfettamente d'accordo con
(Italian) to be in unison with
essere più severo con
(Italian) to crack down on
essere sposato con
(Italian) to be married to
essere vestito con
(Italian) to be dressed in
Essex House [1888-1902]
home of the Guild of Handicrafts set up by C.R. Ashbee as 'an endeavour towards the teaching of John Ruskin & William Morris'. The Guild was a cooperative community based on the crafts of metalwork, woodwork and decorative painting. They ran a shop in central London at 16a Brook St. and by 1900 had grown to 150 members. The community moved en-masse to Chipping Campden in 1902
Essieu (s.), Essieux (pl.)
(French m.) axle
Essor
(French m.) expansion
essorer
(French) to spin-dry (wet washing), to wring (cloth, washing, etc.)
(Spanish) American (particularly pertaining to the United States of America), United States
es tagt
(German) day is breaking
estallar en llanto
(Spanish) to burst into tears
estallar de risa
(Spanish) to burst out laughing
Estaminet
(French) a small public-house
Estampa
(Spanish f.) press
estampado
(Spanish) printed
estampar
(Spanish) to print, to publish
Estampe
(French f.) print
Estampida
(Provençal) estampie
Estampido
(Spanish m.) bang
Estampie
a poetic and musical genre, from the time of the troubadour, related to the sequence, it is sometimes found without words and is believed to have been danced. Eight examples of this form survive, all in a triple meter. An estampie consists of between 4 and 7 verses (called puncta); each verse is repeated, and all share the same alternate endings. That is, an estampie with 4 verses (A, B, C, D) and two endings (1, called ouvert, and 2, called clos) would be played in the following order: A 1 A 2 B 1 B 2 C 1 C 2 D 1 D 2. Further, both the verses and the endings can vary in length within a single piece (suggesting that the dance was not regular); surviving examples range from 8 to 20 measures in length per verse. [Mensural notation was not used in these manuscripts; this refers to the number of measures in a modern transcription.] The range of these melodies is generally about a tenth
(Spanish) to stagnate, to become stagnant, to stagnate (figurative), to get bogged down
Estancia
(Spanish f.) stanza
(Spanish, Latin-America) a cattle-farm
Estándar
(Spanish m.) standard (the original form of a popular song, as opposed to an arrangement)
estándar
(Spanish) standard, standardized
Estándarización
(Spanish f.) standardization
E-Standbass
(German m.) electric upright bass
Estaño
(Spanish m.) tin
Estante
(Spanish m.) shelf, rack, stand
(Spanish m.) post, pillar
Estante para libros
(Spanish m.) bookcase
Estanteria
(Spanish f.) shelves, bookcase
estar borracho
(Spanish) to be drunk
estarcir
(Spanish) to stencil
estar constipado
(Spanish) to have a cold
estar de buenas
(Spanish) to be in a good mood
estar descompuesto
(Spanish) to have diarrhoea
estar deseoso de
(Spanish) to be eager to
estar desfasado
(Spanish) to have jet-lag
estar en ascuas
(Spanish) to be on tenterhooks
estar en ayunas
(Spanish, literally 'be on a fast') to be in the dark (figurative)
estar en babia
(Spanish) to have one's head in the clouds
estar en boga
(Spanish) to be in fashion, to be in vogue
estar en desgracia
(Spanish) to be unfortunate
estar en la brecha
(Spanish) to be in the thick of it
estar en las últimas
(Spanish) to be on one's last legs, to be down to one's last penny
estar gravado
(Spanish) to be mortgaged
estar hecho un asco
(Spanish) to be disgusting
estar mal de la azotea
(Spanish) to be mad
estar que arde
(Spanish) to be very tense
estar que bota
(Spanish) to be hopping mad
estar que brinca
(Spanish) to be hopping mad
estar que bufa
(Spanish) to be hopping mad
estar sobre aviso
(Spanish) to be on the alert
Estates satire
a medieval genre common among French poets in which the speaker lists various occupations among the three estates of feudalism (nobles, peasants, and clergy) and depicts them in a manner that shows how short they fall from the ideal of that occupation. In the late medieval period, the genre expanded to discuss the failings of bourgeois individuals as well
son of Ercole, Alfonso brought some of the most famous musicians of the time to his court to work as composers, instrumentalists and singers. Musicians from northern Europe who worked at Ferrara during his reign included Antoine Brumel and Adrian Willaert, the latter of whom was to become the founder of the Venetian School, something which could not have happened without Alfonso's patronage
Ercole was successful in setting up a musical establishment which was for a few years the finest in Europe, overshadowing the Vatican chapel itself. For the next century, Ferrara was to retain the character of a centre of avant-garde music with a decidedly secular emphasis. In music history, Ercole was one of the Italian nobles most responsible for bringing the talented Franco-Flemish musicians from northern Europe into Italy. The most famous composers of Europe either worked for him, were commissioned by him, or dedicated music to him, including Alexander Agricola, Jacob Obrecht, Heinrich Isaac, Adrian Willaert, and Josquin Desprez, whose Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae not only is dedicated to him, but is based on a theme drawn from the syllables of the Duke's name
He raised the glory of Ferrara to its highest point, and was the patron of Torquato Tasso and Giovanni Battista Guarini, favouring the arts and sciences, as the princes of his house had always done. Luzzasco Luzzaschi served as his court organist. In addition, he was the sponsor of the Concerto delle donne, a type of group which was to be copied all over Italy
Colombian percussion instrument that resembles a small placemat. It is formed by small round pieces of wood that are woven together. When bent or rubbed, it makes a percussive sound
esternare
(Italian) to disclose, to show openly, to reveal, to manifest
esternare un sospetto
(Italian) to voice
esternarsi
(Italian) to open one's mind, to open one's heart
Esterno
(Italian m.) outside, day-boy (school)
esterno
(Italian) external, outward, exterior, outward
esterrefatto
(Italian) terrified
esteso
(Italian) extensive, wide, large
estética
(Portuguese) aesthetic
Estètico
(Italian f.) aesthetics
estètico
(Italian) aesthetic
estético
(Spanish) aesthetic
estg
abbreviated form of 'estimating'
Esthète
(French m./f.) aesthete
Esthéticien (m.), Esthéticienne (f.)
(French) a specialist in beauty treatment
esthétique
(French) aesthetic
Estheticism
see 'aestheticism'
estilarse
(Spanish) to be in vogue, to be in fashion
Estilete
(Spanish m.) stylus, stiletto, probe (medicine)
Estilistica
(Spanish f.) stylistics
estilistico (m.), estilistica (f.)
(Spanish) stylistic
Estilista
(Spanish m./f.) stylist
Estilización
(Spanish f.) styling
estilizado
(Spanish) stylized
estilizar
(Spanish) to stylize
Estilo
(Portuguese, Spanish m.) style, manner, fashion, speech, stroke (swimming), stylus
Estilo de jazz
(Spanish m.) jazz-style, for example, 'bebop'
Estilo directo
(Spanish m.) direct speech
Estilográfica
(Spanish f.) fountain-pen
Estilo indirecto
(Spanish m.) indirect speech
estimable
(French) worthy
Estimation
(French f.) valuation, estimation (calculation)
Estime
(French f.) esteem
estimer
(French) to value (of an object), to estimate (calculate), to esteem (respect), to consider
Estimulo
(Spanish m.) encouragement (figurative), incentive (for example, financial)
estinguendo
(Italian, literally 'extinguished') die away, become extinct
(Italian, literally 'extinguished') as soft as possible, the ultimate degree of pianissimo
estinto
(Italian, literally 'extinguished') or spento (Italian), as soft as possible, the ultimate degree of pianissimo
(Italian) gradually softer and slower
(Italian) deceased
Estintore (d'incendi)
(Italian m.) fire extinguisher
Estinzione
(Italian f.) extinction, slaking (thirst), quenching (thirst), paying off (debt)
Estio
(Spanish m.) summer
Estipendio
(Spanish m.) stipend, fee, remuneration
Estival (s.), Estivaux (pl.)
(French m.) summer
Estivant (m.), Estivante (f.)
(French) summer visitor, holiday-maker
estn
abbreviated form of 'estimation'
Estojo
(Portuguese) case
Estomac
(French m.) stomach
estomaqué
(French) stunned
estompé
(French) toned down
Estouffade
(French) brown meat stock
Estovers
(from Old French estovoir, 'to be necessary') the necessities allowed by law, for example, fallen wood that could be legal collected for repairing houses, working tools, etc., or for fuel, an allowance of food and clothing to imprisoned felons, or a pension given to a widow
Estrade
(French f.) rostrum, platform
Estrado
(Spanish m.) stage, bandstand
es traf sich, daß
(German) it so happened that
Estragon
(French m.) tarragon (herb)
Estratto
(Italian m.) offprint
Estravagante
(Italian) extravagant, a composition of a wild and erratic type
Estravaganza
(Italian f.) extravagance, a composition of a wild and erratic type
estrechar
(Spanish) to make narrower, to take in (garment), to squeeze, to hug (person)
estrechar la mano a uno
(Spanish) to shake hands with someone
estrecharse
(Spanish) to become narrower, to squeeze up
Estrechez
(Spanish f.) narrowness, tight spot, want (lack of money)
Estrecho
(Spanish m.) straits (for example, of Gibraltar)
estrecho
(Spanish) narrow, tight, close (figurative: intimate)
estrecho de miras
(Spanish) or de miras estrechas, narrow-minded
estregar
(Spanish) to rub
Estrella
(Spanish f.) star (in the theatre, cinema, etc.)
Estrella de mar
(Spanish f.) starfish
estremamente
(Italian) extremely, very much
Estrenarse
(Spanish) to make one's début, to have its première, to open (of a play in the theatre)
Estreno
(Spanish m.) première, first night, opening night
Estrepito
(Spanish m.) din
estrepitoso
(Spanish) noisy
Estribilho
(Portuguese) a popular Portuguese song in compound duple meter
Estribillo
(Spanish m.) from the seventeenth century, a vocal refrain or chorus, the term applies particularly to the vocal choruses of the son style
(Spanish m.) catchphrase
estridente
(Spanish) strident, raucous
estrinciendo
(Italian) playing a passage with force and precision
Estrinienda
(Italian) an extreme legato
Estrofa
(Spanish f.) strophe
Estropié (m.), Estropiée (f.)
(French) cripple
estropier
(French) to cripple, to mangle (figurative)
Estro poetico
(Italian m.) poetic fervor or inspiration, imaginative power in a composer
Estructura
(Spanish f.) framework, structure
Estructura rítmica
(Spanish f.) rhythmic structure
Estruendo
(Spanish m.) din, uproar
estruendoso
(Spanish) deafening
Estrutura
(Portuguese) framework, structure
Estrutural
(Portuguese) structural
Estuaire
(French m.) estuary
Estudante
(Portuguese) student
Estudiante
(Spanish m./f.) student
estudiantin (m.), estudiantine (f.)
(French) student
Estudiantino (m.), Estudiantina (f.)
(Spanish) in the style of students
Estudio
(Spanish m.) study, étude (French)
Estúdio
(Portuguese) studio
Estúdio caseiro
(Portuguese) home studio
Estudio de Fonologia Musical
in 1958, with Fausto Maranca and some schematics from the Studio di Fonologia in Milan, Francisco Kröpfl founded the Estudio de Fonologia Musical, the first electronic music lab in Latin America. It was situated within the structure and physical space of the Acoustics Laboratory at the School of Architecture at the University of Buenos Aires
(Italian f.) exultation, in a joyful rejoicing style
Esurient
famished, extremely hungry
Esurientes
(Latin) from the Magnificat, Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes which translates as 'He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away'
es weit bringen
(German) to go far (figurative)
es wird Tag
(German) it is getting light
es zu bunt treiben
(German) to go too far
Et
(Danish, Norwegian) one
et
(French, Latin) and
e.t.
abbreviation of 'educational therapy', 'electric telegraph', 'English text', 'English translation'
ETA
abbreviated form of 'estimated time of arrival', 'European Teachers' Association'
Étab.
abbreviated form of Établissement (French: business establishment)
Étable
(French f.) cow-shed
établi
(French) established
Établi
(French m.) work-bench
établir
(French) to establish, to draw up (list, etc.), to set up (camp, person, etc.)
Établissement
(French m.) establishment (institution)
Étage
(French m.) floor, storey, stage (rocket)
Étagère
(French f.) a set of light, open shelves, either on legs or attached to the wall like a hanging bookcase, a what-not
a minor or unspecified object or article, a what-not
Étai
(French m.) prop, buttress
Étain
(French m.) pewter
et ainsi de suite
(French) and so forth, and so on
Étal (s.), Étals (pl.)
(French m.) stall
et al.
abbreviated form of et alibi (Latin: and elsewhere), et alii (Latin: and others)
Étalage
(French m.) a display (particularly, in a shop window), shop-window
Étalagiste
(French m./f.) window-dresser
étaler
(French) to spread, to spread out (paper), to stagger (holidays), to display (exhibit)
Étalon
(French m.) stallion, standard (model)
étanche
(French) watertight, waterproof
étancher
(French) to quench (thirst), to stem (flow of blood)
Étang
(French m.) pond
étant donné que
(French) given that
Etaoin shrdlu
taken in the approximate order of frequency, the twelve most commonly used letters in the English language, used as a nonsense phrase, an absurd or unintelligible utterance
Étape
(French f.) a stage (in a journey), a stopover
État
(French m.) state, statement, profession, State (nation)
état civil
(French) civil status
Étatisme
(French) state management, state control
État-major (s.), États-majors (pl.)
(French m.) staff (official)
État des lieux
(French) inventory
État d'esprit
(French m.) mood
étatisé
(French) State-controlled
États-Unis (d'Amérique)
(French m. pl.) United States (of America)
Étau (s.), Étaux (pl.)
(French m.) vice
étayer
(French) to prop up
etc.
abbreviation of et cætera (Latin: and other things, and the rest, and so forth)
Et cætera
(Latin) or et cetera, and other things, and the rest, and so forth
Etching
an intaglio printing process in which a sheet of metal is incised through chemical means. First the metal is coated with an acid resist. Once dry it can be drawn upon with a metal scribe that removes only the resist from the metal plate's surface. When the plate is placed in a bath of acid, the metal devolves where the resist was removed creating an incised surface. The lines that are formed have rough edges. When washed clean the plate can be printed in a traditional intaglio manner
ETD
abbreviated form of 'estimated time of departure'
ETE
abbreviated form of 'estimated time en route'
Été
(French m.) summer
e tenebris lux
(Latin) light out of darkness, illumination in a dark place
éteindre
(French) to extinguish, to put out, to turn off (radio, light)
(French) barely audible, out (fire), extinct (volcano)
Étendard
(French m.) standard
étendre
(French) to spread, to spread out (paper, napkin, etc.), to stretch (out) (arm, leg, etc.), to hang out (washing, etc.), to extend (make larger)
étendu, étendue
(French) extensive
Étendue
(French f.) compass (of an instrument or voice), range, area, stretch (of water), extent (importance)
Etéreo
(Spanish) ethereal
éternel, éternelle
(French) eternal
éternellement
(French) eternally
Éternité
(French f.) eternity
éternuer
(French) to sneeze
Éternuement
(French m.) sneeze
ETH
(Switzerland) abbreviated form of Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (German: Federal Institute of Technology)
Eth
a letter used in Old English and Middle English that have fallen out of use in Modern English. It represented a consonant sound akin to the "th" in thin, thigh, or with
eth.
abbreviated form of 'ether', 'ethical', 'ethics', ethic'
Ether
quintessence, the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water, which was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
a colourless volatile highly inflammable liquid formerly used as an inhalation anesthetic
Ethereal
light, airy, highly delicate (especially in appearance), heavenly
Etheromania
a mania for ether, in particular the practice of imbibing ether (more correctly known as diethyl ether) for recreational purposes
Ethic
a system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct that are accepted by an individual or a social group
Ethical
of or pertaining to morals (especially, as concerning human conduct), morally correct, (of a drug, etc.) not advertised to the general public (and usually available only on prescription)
Ethic dative
in Latin and some other languages, the use of the dative case of a pronoun to signify that the person (or thing) being referred to is regarded with interest
Ethicism
a doctrine that ethics and ethical ideas are valid and important
Ethics
a major branch of philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analysing right and wrong
Ethiopian
native or national of Ethiopia in North East Africa, a person of Ethiopian descent
of or pertaining to Ethiopia
Ethiopian chant
the most important book of the Ethiopian Church, the Diggua, is the Collection of Church Hymns compiled by Saint Yared, the greatest of all Ethiopian scholar/musicians, who lived during the reign of King Gebre Meskel (476-571)
the Diggua consists of two parts
specific hymns celebrating holy persons and things (holidays, etc.)
hymns of a general character, such as hymns for the ordinary days of the week
(Ethiopia) a generic term given to urban Ethiopian music that appeared in the 1960s under the influence of rhythm and blues
Ethiopian airs
(Ethiopian is used here to mean 'black') a term applied to the music performed in minstrel shows and to Negro spirituals, including their instrumental and harmonic accompaniment
church music in Ethiopia goes back to St Yared in the 6th century who is said to have been influenced in his compositions by the song of the birds. It uses a pentatonic scale and while Middle Eastern in character it differs from Coptic music. There was no notation until the 16th century. It is mostly restrained and slow and in strophic and ametric form. It also includes the hymns performed by the debteras at the end of Mass and the use of drums, sistra and prayer-sticks Music is performed without anybooks
used to describe a culture that is different from the "dominant" culture, in terms including language and linguistics, race, religion, national origin, and various combinations of these factors. An ethnic group is a subculture, usually based on shared traditions and characteristics. Ethnicity is different from race per se in that, while race denotes biological traits, ethnicity is used to describe cultural traits that may well cross racial lines
a dialect used by a racial or national group, as opposed to a caste dialect or regional dialect
Ethnic modes
the 'ecclesiastical modes'
Ethnie
(French f.) ethnic group
ethnique
(French) ethnic
Ethnocentrism
the attitude that one's own cultural assumptions are superior and should be used to judge others
ethnog.
abbreviated form of 'ethnography'
Ethnographic material
material originating in any culture still living or known through relatively recent history when that material is the concern of ethnographic or ethnological study, for example, musical instruments
Ethnography
a study of culture and cultural processes through the use of ethnographic material
Ethno House
'house' music fused with elements of world music
ethnol.
abbreviated form of 'ethnology', 'ethnological'
Ethnology
the comparative study of peoples
Ethnomusicologie
(French) ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
a term first used by Jaap Kunst (1891-1960) but which as an academic discipline began in the late nineteenth century, the study of music as a cultural phenomenon, the anthropology of music, a term usually applied to the study of non-Western musical forms and their cultural associations, also called 'world musicology'
Ethnomusikologie
(German f.) ethnomusicology
Ethos
in ancient Greek music, the term ethos designated the particular character of each of various modes. The Dorian was thought to be 'manly and strong'; the Phrygian, 'ecstatic and passionate'; the Lydian, 'feminine and lascivious'; the Mixolydian, 'sad and mournful'. Today, we would use the term when discussing the character of a piece rather than of a scale
(Greek, literally 'custom' or 'character') the underlying character (as opposed to transient moods) of a person depicted in an opera
Éthylisme
(French m.) alcoholism
Etic
see 'emic'
Etichetta
(Italian f.) docket, tally, ticket
(Italian f.) Zettel (German m.), étiquette (French f.), label - as found in a violin, etc., showing the date of completion, the name of the maker, the number of the instrument, and so on
(Italian f.) etiquette (conventional rules of social behaviour or professional conduct)
Etikett
(German n.) label, price tag
Et incarnatus
(Latin) a portion of the Credo
étincelant
(French) sparkling
étinceler
(French) to sparkle
Étincelle (s.), Étincelles (pl.)
(French f.) spark(s), the title of many pieces of technically dazzling piano music
Etiological narrative
an etiological narrative in folklore, mythology/religion, or literature is a story that explains how a social custom, geographical feature, animal, or plant came into existence
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origins of things or how things came to be
the study of the causes of disease
étiqueter
(French) to label
Etiquette
(English, from the French) conventional rules of social behaviour or professional conduct
Étiquette
(French f.) etiquette (conventional rules of social behaviour or professional conduct)
(French f.) Zettel (German m.), etichetta (Italian f.), label - as found in a violin, etc., showing the date of completion, the name of the maker, the number of the instrument, and so on
etlichemal
(German) several times
etliches
(German) a number of things
étnico
(Spanish) ethnic
Étoffe
(French f.) fabric
Étoile
(French f.) star, a design in the shape of a star, the intersection of streets radiating from a point
(French f.) the highest rank a dancer may hold in the Paris Opera
Eton Choirbook
(also known as the Eton Manuscript) a magnificent manuscript of English sacred music copied for use at Eton College between 1490 and 1502. It contains nine Magnificat settings and 29 motets, primarily votive antiphons the types of music that would have been sung at evening services at the college. The florid and rhythmically complex music contrasts markedly with the prevailing style on the continent at this time
(French, literally 'to stifle') to dampen, to mute, to muffle (noise), to suffocate, to stifle (revolt, emotional response), to smother (fire)
étouffer apres chaque coup
(French) to dampen after each beat
étouffement avec la paume, l'
(French) palm mute
étouffez
(French, literally 'damp') dampen, mute, choke (the sound)
Étouffoir
(French m.) damper (for example, on a piano)
Étourderie
(French f.) thoughtlessness, heedlessness, a thoughtless act, a blunder
Étourdi (m.), Étourdie (f.)
(French) scatter-brain (a person)
étourdi (m.), étourdie (f.)
(French) unthinking, thoughtless, scatter-brained
étourdir
(French) to stun, to make dizzy
étourdissant (m.), étourdissante (f.)
(French) stunning
Étourdissement
(French m.) dizzy spell
Étourneau (s.), Étourneaux (pl.)
(French m.) starling
et quelque(s)
(French) a bit (after/over), as in 4 heures et quelques (French: a bit after 4)
étrange
(French) strange
étrangement
(French) strangely
Étranger (m.), Étrangère (f.)
(French) foreigner, stranger
étranger (m.), étrangère (f.)
(French) foreign (of another country), strange, unfamiliar
Étrangeté
(French f.) strangeness
étrangler
(French) to strangle, to stifle
Être
(French m.) being (person, creature)
être
(French) to be, to have (as auxiliary to a verb)
être à la charge de
(French) to be the responsibility of
être abattu (m.), être abattue (f.)
(French) to be in low spirits, to be cast down
être à quai
(French) to be alongside (boat, ship: the quay, the dock), to be in (train: the station, the platform)
être attaché à
(French) to be attached to (love)
être bègue
(French) to stammer
être censé faire
(French) to be supposed to do
être cloué au lit
(French) to be confined to one's bed
être collé à
(French) to fail (exam)
être dans son droit
(French) to be in the right
être dans son tort
(French) to be in the wrong
être dans tous ses états
(French) to be in a state
être d'avis que
(French) to be of the opinion that
être de bon augure
(French) to be a good sign
être de bonne foi
(French) to be acting in good faith
être de mauvais augure
(French) to be a bad sign
être de mauvaise foi
(French) to be acting in bad faith
être dépensier
(French) to be a spendthrift
être désolé
(French) to be sorry
être destiné à faire
(French) to be intended to do, to be destined to do
être donné par
(French) to be given by
être échaudé
(French) to get one's fingers burnt
être en équilibre
(French) to balance (person), to be balanced (object)
être en évidence
(French) to be conspicuous
être ex aequo
(French) to be equally placed
être fait par
(French) to be done by
Être humain
(French m.) human being
être malade de jalousie
(French) to be green with envy
être médecin
(French) to be a doctor
être sur la brèche
(French) to be on the go
étreindre
(French) to grasp, to embrace (a friend)
Étreinte
(French f.) grasp, embrace
étrenner
(French) use for the first time
Étrennes
(French f. pl.) New Year's gifts (the singular form is rarely used)
être témoin de
(French) to be a witness to
être tiré à quatre épingles
(French) to be dressed up to the nines
être titulaire
(French) to have tenure
être titulaire de
(French) to hold
être tuberculeux (m.), être tuberculeuse (f.)
(French) to have tuberculosis
Étrier
(French m.) stirrup, a climbing iron (mountaineering, rock climbing)
étriqué
(French) tight, small-minded (figurative)
étroit, étroite
(French) narrow, tight (clothes), close (observation, etc.)
étroitement
(French) closely
Étroitesse
(French f.) narrowness
Etruscan
native of Etruria, language of Etruria
of ancient Etruria in Italy
et seq.
also et seqq., abbreviation of et sequens (Latin: and the following), et sequentes (Latin: and those that follow)
et sequens
(Latin) and the following
et sequentes
(Latin) and those that follow, and the following (chapeters, pages, lines, etc.)
et sequentia
(Latin) and those that follow, and the following (chapeters, pages, lines, etc.)
et sqq.
also et seq., abbreviated form of et sequentes or et sequentia (Latin: and the following (pages, etc.))
Ett
(Swedish) one
etta
see etto
Ettacordo
(Italian m.) synonymous with eptacordo
etto (m.), etta (f.)
an Italian final diminitive, as, for example, tromba, 'trumpet', trombetta, 'little trumpet'
et tout ce qui s'ensuit
(French) and so on
Ettstruket c
(Swedish) the note 'middle C'
Etüde
(German f.) etude
Étude
(French f.) (a room or space) study, office
(French f.) Etüde (German f.), a study, and exercise, a piece written for the purposes of practicing or displaying technique. The Italian composer Girolamo Diruta (c.1554-after 1610) included some of the earliest examples of the étude in his treatise Il transilvano
(French f.) a study designed for public performance as opposed to private practice
Étude des functions
(French f.) functional harmony
Étudiant (m.), Étudiante (f.)
(French) student
étudier
(French) to study
etuhele
(Finnish) appoggiatura
Etui
(German n.) (instrument) case (for a flute, oboe, etc.), a small pocket case for holding needles and other small objects, astuccio (Italian), custodia (Italian - for a violin, etc.), Kasten (German - for a violin, cello, etc.), étui (French), housse (French - case or cover)
Étui
(French m.) (instrument) case, a small pocket case for holding needles and other small objects, astuccio (Italian), custodia (Italian), Kasten (German - for a violin, cello, etc.), Etui (German - for a flute, oboe, etc.), housse (French - case or cover)
Étuve
(French f.) steamroom, hothouse
étuvée
(French) cooked in own juices
et ux.
abbreviated form of at uxor (Latin: and wife)
ETV
abbreviated form of 'educational television'
Et vitam
(Latin) part of the Credo
etwas
(German) some, something, somewhat, rather, somewhere, a little
etwas abfallend
see abfallend
etwas auszusetzen haben an
(German) to find fault with
etwas bewegter
(German) rather more movement, somewhat faster [entry extended by Brian A. Jefferies]
etwas bewegter schnell
(German) a little quicker
etwas breiter
(German) a little more broadly, somewhat more broadly, slower, meno mosso (Italian)
etwas ganz anderes
(German) something quite different
etwas hervortretend
(German) somewhat more emphasised, more emphasised
etwas langsam
(German) rather slow
etwas langsamer
(German) a little slower, rather slower
etwas lebhafter
(German) a little more lively, somewhat more lively
etwas schneller
(German) a little faster, somewhat faster
etwas schwächer
(German) a little weaker, somewhat weaker
etwas taugen
(German) to be good
etwas vermerken
(German) to make a note of something
etwas vorwärts gehend
(German) a little faster, somewhat faster, poco più mosso
etwas zurückhaltend
(German) holding back the tempo somewhat
ety.
or etym. or etymol., abbreviated form of 'etymological', 'etymologist', 'etymology'
Etymological
pertaining to the study of the origin of words, and of their derivation and development in form and meaning
Etymological respelling
revising spelling to reflect or match how a word's etymon was spelled, or the actual word so altered. For instance, the words debt and doubt gained their silent /b/ letters in the Renaissance when revisionists/reactionaries wanted to "correct" the Middle English spellings (det and dout) to match the Latin roots, debitum and dubitare
a person whose study is the origin of words, and their derivation and development in form and meaning
Etymology
the study of the origin of words, and of their derivation and development in form and meaning
Etymon (s.), Etyma (pl.)
(Latin from Greek) the primitive form of a word, the original from which a newer word is derived
EU
abbreviation of États-Unis (French: United States, US), Estados Unidos (Spanish: United States, US)
abbreviation of 'European Union'
É.-U.
abbreviation of États-Unis (French: United States)
EUA
abbreviation of États-Unis d'Amérique (French: United States of America, USA), Estados Unidos de América (Spanish: United States of America, USA), Estados Unidos da América (Portuguese: United States of America, USA)
É.-U.A.
abbreviation of États-Unis d'Amérique (French: USA, United States of America)
US
Euba
a variation on the Puerto Rican bomba
see bomba
Euc.
or Eucl., abbreviation of 'Euclid' (c.330-c.275 BC), Greek mathematician
Eucalyptus
(English, French m.) a genus of tall evergreen trees from Australia, from which an oil with antiseptic properties is extracted
Eucharist
one of the seven Christian sacraments and the principal ritual of the church, in which bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Christ; the ritual must be administered by a priest
EUDISED
abbreviation of 'European Documentation and Information Service for Education'
Eufemismo
(Spanish m.) euphemism
Eufonia
(Italian f.) euphony
eufonico
(Italian) harmonious, pleasant-sounding
Eufonio
(Italian m.) euphonium
Eugene Onegin
an opera ("lyrical scenes") in 3 acts (7 scenes), by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837)
Eugene Onegin from which this extract has been taken
Eugenics
(treated as singular or plural) improvement of the qualities of a race by control of inherited characteristics
Euharmonic
notes that produce a mathematically perfect harmony or concord. The term also describes a piece which is essentially harmonious
a funeral oration given in tribute to a person or people who have recently died. It can also praise a living person or people who are still alive, which normally takes place on special occasions like birthdays, etc.
abbreviation of Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Spanish: Mexico)
Eumelia
a glass harmonica
Eunuch
(from Greek, 'bedchamber attendant') a castrated man, especially one formerly employed at an oriental harem or court
Eunuchen-fluit
(Dutch) Eunuch flute
Eunuch flute
a kazoo, a member of the membranophone family of musical instruments made of a flattened pipe of metal or plastic with a membrane-covered hole
Eunuco con voz de soprano
(Spanish m.) castrato
EUOUAE
the vowels from the words seculorum amen, the final words of the doxology
EUP
abbreviation of 'English Universities Press'
euphem.
abbreviation of 'euphemism', 'euphemistic'
Euphemism
an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh, the use of such an expression
Euphémisme
(French m.) euphemism
Euphemistic
substituting a mild term for a harsher or distasteful one
Euphon
also called Euphonium, a kind of glass harmonica invented by E. F. F. Chladni (in about 1790). The sound of this instrument is produced by rubbing with moistened fingers strips of glass which communicate their vibrations to rods of metal
Euphone
(French) a reed, generally a free-reed, 16 ft. stop in an organ
Euphonia
(Italian) euphony, an agreeable sound
Euphoniad
a musical instrument in which the characteristic tones of the organ and various other instruments are combined
Euphonicon
a kind of upright piano
Euphonie
(French) euphony, an agreeable sound
Euphonium
(English, German n.) called baryton in French, the euphonium looks like a small tuba, but has a higher pitch and mellower sound. Its name comes from the Greek and means "sweet voiced" or "beautiful sound." The outstanding quality of the euphonium is its deep, rich tone quality. The instrument is made of brass, can have anywhere from three to five valves and has conical tubing. The euphonium's brother, the baritone, has cylindrical tubing, is smaller and has a brighter, lighter tone
the history of the euphonium began early in the eighteenth century. The first of its ancestors was the serpent, so named for its snakelike appearance. Made of wood in two halves and bound together by leather, it had several holes bored into it. It was used to support bass parts in church choirs and for military bands. The serpent was followed by the ophicleides, patented by a French instrument maker named Jean-Hilaire Asté (1775-1840) (also known as Halary). The ophicleides, often used in Europe's armed forces bands, used keys to cover the tone holes, which gave them better intonation and more power than the serpent
around 1830, piston valves were developed, which revolutionized instrument design and manufacture. The most famous valved brass instrument maker was Adolph Sax, who made an entire family of instruments at his Paris factory. However, David James Blaikley is credited with giving most in terms of technological and mathematical thought to the modern day instrument
attempting to group words together harmoniously, so that the consonants permit an easy and pleasing flow of sound when spoken, as opposed to cacophony, when the poet intentionally mixes jarring or harsh sounds together in groups that make the phrasing either difficult to speak aloud or grating to the ear
Euphoria
(Greek) a feeling of well-being and good health (especially in a person whose health is usually not good)
Euphorie
(French f.) euphoria
Euphuism
not to be confused with euphemism, euphuism is a highly ornate style of writing popularized by John Lyly's Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578). The style is sententious, relies heavily on balanced syntax, makes frequent use of antithesis, parallelism, rhetorical tropes, and learned allusions
the expression of musical rhythm through bodily movement, a system developed by Emile Henri Jaques Dalcroze (1865-1950), who in 1910 founded an institute to promote the system in Germany
Eurythmie
(French f., German f.) eurhythmics
Eurhythmy
harmony, regular and symmetrical measure
Eurip.
abbreviation of 'Euripides' (c.480-406 BC), Greek dramatist
Euritmia
(Spanish f.) eurhythmics
Eurodance
synonymous with 'techno dance' and 'trance dance', 'Eurodance' is a colloquial term for European dance music. It has achieved popularity in Europe, Oceania, South America, Canada, as well as parts of Asia between 1992 to 1996 and up until now. Between 1993 and 1995, the original genre was considered a mainstream phenomenon being diversified and mixed with other electronic music genres. In terms of musical style, Eurodance is closely related to Euro-pop and Euro-rap. All three are predominately represented by Western European and Scandinavian artists, and garner a good portion of their audience from these regions
the term 'Euro disco' refers to a collection of styles and genres of electronic dance music that had emerged from Europe by the early 1980s, incorporating elements of electropop and disco into new hybrids such as Hi-NRG, Italo disco, Eurohouse, British Pop and others. The term is also commonly written as Eurodisco and Euro-disco. A typical Euro disco song has a contrasting verse-chorus form, a synthesizer-based accompaniment, and lyrics sung in English
abbreviation of 'European Community Youth Jazz Orchestra'
European art music
in its broadest definition, European art music stems from traditions in Western Europe that began in Ancient Greece but took root after the fall of the Roman Empire. The music that has come from that tradition continue to be performed, composed and appreciated around the globe
Européen (m.), Européenne (f.)
(French) European
européen (m.), européenne (f.)
(French) European
Europop
a style of pop music that developed in Europe throughout the 1970s which emphasized catchy beats, slick songs and frothy lyrics
a hybrid of Hard Trance and Eurodance music incorporating Hardstyle bass drums and trance elements
Euro-Trance from which this extract has been taken
Eus.
abbreviation of 'Eusebius of Caesarea' (fl. 4th century AD), churchman and historian
Euskal musikatresnak
(Basque) Basque musical instruments
Euskara
or Basque, a language spoken by about a million people in northern Spain and southwestern France. Although attempts have been made to link it to ancient Iberian, the Hamito-Semitic group, and Caucasian, its origins remain uncertain. The sound pattern resembles that of Spanish, with its five pure vowels and such peculiarities as a trilled r and palatal n and l. In spite of this, and the presence of numerous Latinate loanwords, Basque has maintained its distinctiveness throughout two millennia of external contacts. For example, it still places a unique emphasis on suffixes to denote case and number and to form new words. Basque is the only language remaining of those spoken in southwestern Europe before the Roman conquest. Since the tenth century, it has gradually been supplanted by Castilian Spanish, and under the Franco regime its use in Spain was outlawed altogether. The ethnic insularity of the Basques, however, has fostered revivals. Attempts are now being made to standardize the orthography
Euterpe, from Greek culture, is one of the nine Muses of Apollo. Her name means "rejoicing well" or "delight". She was born from Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, along with her other eight sisters. Euterpe is the Muse of music and lyric poetry. She is also the Muse of joy and pleasure and of flute playing and was thought to have invented the double flute, which is her attribute
Euthanasia
(Greek) the practice of terminating the life of a person or animal with an incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or a possibly undignified death in a painless or minimally painful way, for the purpose of limiting suffering
Evening hymns are designed to be played or sung at the end of the day. Henry Purcell's evening hymn "Now that the sun hath veil'd his light" is a setting of words written by Dr. William Fuller (1608-1675). Other well-known evening hymns include "Abide with Me", "O strength and stay", "Saviour Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise", "The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended". The duet from Hänsel & Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is described as an evening hymn or an evening prayer. Many evening hymns are considered suitable for performance at funerals
Evensong
the equivalent in the Anglican church to Vespers in the Roman Catholic rite
Éventail
(French m.) fan, range
Éventaire
(French m.) stall, stand
éventé
(French) stale
Even time
where the notes, usually quavers (eighth notes), are played 'straight' or 'even', i.e. not 'swung' or 'uneven'
éventrer
(French) to rip open (parcel, etc.)
Éventualité
(French f.) possibility
Eventuate
to come out in the end
éventuel (m.), éventuelle (f.)
(French) possible
éventuellement
(French) possibly
Even tuning
equal temperament
Évêque
(French m.) bishop
Evergreen
a term used for popular classical and light music pieces
Eversio
or evolutio, (Latin) inversion, particularly, inversion of the parts in a fugue or in double counterpoint
evg
abbreviation of 'evening'
Éviction
(French f.) eviction
evid.
abbreviation of 'evidence'
évidemment
(French) obviously, of course
Évidence
(French f.) obviousness, obvious fact
évident (m.), évidente (f.)
(French) obvious, evident
évider
(French) to hollow out
Évier
(French m.) sink
évincer
(French) to oust
Evirato (s.), Evirati (pl.)
(Italian m., literally, 'unmanned') a man whose boy-like voice has been preserved by castration, i.e. a castrato
éviter
(French) to avoid
éviter de faire
(French) to avoid doing
evng
abbreviation of 'evening'
Evocación
(Spanish f.) evocation, invocation
evocar
(Spanish) to evoke
évocateur (m.), évocatrice (f.)
(French) evocative
Évocation
(French f.) evocation
Evoe
(Italian) an evocation to Bacchus
evol.
abbreviation of 'evolve', 'evolution', 'evolutionist'
Evolución
(Spanish f.) evolution
évolué
(French) highly developed
évoluer
(French) to develop, to move, to manoeuvre
Evolutio
(Latin) see eversio
Évolution
(French f.) development, evolution (of a species), movement (displacement)
évoquer
(French) to call to mind, to evoke
Evovae
alternative spelling of EUOUAE
evy
abbreviation of 'every'
EWA
abbreviation of 'Education Writers' Association'
Ewigkeit
(German) eternity, thin air (figurative)
Ewig-Wiebliche, das
(German n.) the eternal feminine, the unchanging power of women to inspire and spiritualize mankind (viz. Goethe)
exact rhyme or perfect rhyme is rhyming two words in which both the consonant sounds and vowel sounds match to create a rhyme. The term "exact" is sometimes used more specifically to refer to two homophones that are spelled dissimilarly but pronounced identically at the end of lines. Since poetry is traditionally spoken aloud, the effect of rhyme depends upon sound rather than spelling, even words that are spelled dissimilarly can rhyme
a form of humour, taking what is normal and blowing it out of proportion
exakter Halbton
(German m.) the interval of 100 cents, in the equal-temperament system exactly one twelfth of an octave
Exaltation
(French f.) elation, in an exalted and dignified manner
Exalté (m.), Exaltée (f.)
(French) fanatic
exalté (m.), exaltée (f.)
(French) exalted, very excited, very enthusiastic
exalter
(French) to excite, to exalt
exam.
abbreviation of 'examination', 'examine', 'examiner'
examd
abbreviation of 'examined'
Examen
(French m.) examination, exam
Examinateur (m.), Examinatrice (f.)
(French) examiner
examiner
(French) to examine
examn
abbreviation of 'examination'
examg
abbreviation of 'examining'
ex animo
(Latin) from the heart, sincerely, without reservation
ex ante
(Latin, literally 'before the event') based on prior assumptions
Exaspération
(French f.) exasperation
exaspérer
(French) to exasperate
exaucer
(French) to grant, to grant the wish(es) of (a person)
Exc.
abbreviation of 'Excellency'
exc.
abbreviation of 'excellent', 'except', 'excepted', 'exception', 'exchange', 'excommunication', excudit (Latin: he or she printed or engraved and printed it, written after the engraver's name), 'excursion'
ex cathedra
(Latin, literally 'from the throne') with (usually Papal) authority (i.e. not subject to argument)
Excavateur
(French m.) digger
Excavation
(French f.) excavation
Excédent
(French m.) surplus
excédentaire
(French) excess, surplus
Excédent de bagages
(French m.) excess luggage
Excédent de la balance commerciale
(French m.) trade surplus
excéder
(French) to exceed
(French) to irritate
excellent, excellente
(French) excellent
Excellence
(French f.) excellence
exceller
(French) to excel
exceller dans
(French) to excel in
Excelsior
(Latin) ever upward
Excentricité
(French f.) eccentricity
Excentrique
(French m./f.) eccentric
excentrique
(French) eccentric
excepcional
(Spanish) exceptional
excepté
(French) except
excepter
(French) to except
Exception
(French f.) exception
exceptionnel (m.), exceptionnelle (f.)
(French) exceptional
exceptionnellement
(French) exceptionally
exceptio probat regulam
(Latin) the exception proves the rule
Excès
(French m.) excess
excès de vitesse
(French) speeding
excessif (m.), excessive (f.)
(French) excessive
excessivement
(French) excessively
Excitant
(French m.) stimulant
Excitation
(French f.) excitement
exciter
(French) to excite, to exhort (encourage), to annoy (irritate)
exciter à
(French) to exhort to
excl.
abbreviation of 'exclude', 'excluding', 'exclusive'
excl.
or exclam., abbreviation of 'exclamation', exclamatory'
exclam.
abbreviation of 'exclamatory'
Exclamation
(English, French f.) words uttered suddenly
exclure
(French) to exclude, to expel, to preclude
exclusif (m.), exclusive (f.)
(French) exclusive
Exclusion
(French f.) exclusion
exclusivement
(French) exclusively
Exclusive psalmody
a practice of some churches that every hymn sung in worship must be a close paraphrase of a Psalm or some other Biblical passage. Some Reformed churches, especially the Calvinists, rejected the use of instrumental music and organs in church, preferring to sing all of the music a cappella. Even today, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and other Reformed churches of the Scottish tradition maintain this practice
Exclusivité
(French f.) exclusive rights (commercial), exclusiveness
Excommunication
a censure imposed by church authority which excludes those subjected to it from holy communion and imposes on them other deprivations and disabilities; in the heavier form of this censure, the transgressor was forbidden any intercourse with fellow Christians and deprived of all rights and privileges in the church
Excroissance
(French f.) growth, outgrowth, excrescence
excud.
abbreviation of excuderunt (Latin: he or she printed or engraved and printed it, written after the engraver's name), 'excursion'
excudere
(Latin) to print
Excursão
(Portugual) 'gig' (colloquial term for a musical performance or a concert)
Excursion
(French f.) excursion, hike (on foot)
Excursion polytonale
(French) side slip
Excursus (s.), Excursus (pl.)
(Latin) a digression (point of detail is discussed at greater depth), an appendix (devoted to a marginal point)
Excuse
(French f.) excuse
Excuses
(French f. pl.) apology
excuser
(French) to excuse
exd
abbreviation of 'examined'
ex delicto
(Latin) arising from or out of a crime
ex dono
(Latin) as a gift, an inscription (usually on a book) recording that it is a gift from an individual (who would be specified)
Exeat
(Latin) permission to be absent
exec.
abbreviation of 'excute', 'execution', executive', executor'
exécrable
(French) abominable
exécrer
(French) to loathe
Executant
(English, from the Latin) a performer, vocal or instrument
an artist or musician
[entry provided by E. Robert A. Beck]
Exécutant (m.), Exécutante (f.)
(French, from the Latin) a performer, vocal or instrument, ejecutante (Spanish)
Executante
(Portuguese) performer
exécuter
(French) to carry out, to execute, to perform (music), to play (music)
Execution
manner of performance, style, dexterity and skill
Exécution
(French f.) execution, performance (music)
Exécution empâtée
(French f.) a neat clear execution
Exécutif
(French m.) executive (politics)
exécutif, exécutive
(French) executive (politics)
execx
abbreviation of 'executrix', 'executives'
Exegesis
(Greek) traditionally the term exegesis was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible and other religious textx. However in contemporary usage exegesis has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text (i.e. including non-religious texts)
exempl.
abbreviation of examplaire (French: copy of a printed work)
Exemplaar
(Dutch) copy
Exemplaire
(French m.) copy
exemplaire
(French) exemplary
Exemplar
(Latin, Swedish) copy
a model or original manuscript, a text, ornament, format or form of illustration, from which a copy is made. Note that unlike an archetype, an exemplar can itself be a copy of an earlier model
Exemple
(French m.) example
Exempli gratia
(Latin) for the sake of example (usually abbreviated e.g.)
Exemplum (s.), Exempla (pl.)
(Latin) an anecdote, a brief story (used in a medieval sermon to illustrate a moral point)
exempt de, exempte de
(French) exempt from
exempter
(French) to exempt
exempter de
(French) to exempt from
Exemption
(French f.) exemption
Exequiae
(Latin) funeral rites, and the music for them
Exequias
(Spanish f. pl.) funeral rites, and the music for them
Exequien
(German) masses for the dead, and the music for them
Exequies
funeral rites, and the music for them
exercer
(French) to exercise, to exert (influence, control), to work at, to train
Exercice
(French m.) exercise, drill (military), practice
Exercice(s) à la barre
(French m.) barrework
Exercice(s) au milieu
(French m.) centre practice
Exercice(s) de style
(French m.) a literary work, painting, etc. performed as a technical exercice and not intended as a serious work of art
a study or a piece designed to develop technique, or to demonstrate technical attainment
a keyboard suite
Exercise music
the advent of jazzercise and other aerobic exercise programs, sees music again helping to keep people fit. To those who dance early dances, the association will come as no surprise. Elizabeth I of England is known to have danced before breakfast as an aid to good digestion and personal fitness
Exercitium (s.), Exercitien (pl.)
(German, archaic) an exercise
Exergue
(Latin) the space on the reverse of a coin or medal, marked off from the main design, which contains the date
exes
abbreviation of 'expenses'
Exeunt
(from the Latin exire, 'they go out') a direction calling for more than one person to exit the stage
Exeunt omnes
(from the Latin exire omnes, 'they all to go out') a direction calling for the whole cast to exit the stage
ex. g.
or ex. gr., abbreviation of exempli gratia (Latin: for example)
ex gratia
(Latin) (a payment made) as a favour
exh.
abbreviation of 'exhaust', 'exhibition'
exhaler
(French) to emit
exhaustif (m.), exhaustive (f.)
(French) exhaustive
exhbn
abbreviation of 'exhibition'
exhib.
abbreviation of 'exhibit', 'exhibition', 'exhibitor'
exhiber
(French) to exhibit
Exhibitionniste
(French m./f.) exhibitionist
exhorter
(French) to exhort
exhorter à
(French) to exhort to
ex hypothesi
(Latin) as a result of assumptions made, a matter of course
Exigence
(French f.) demand
exigeant (m.), exigeante (f.)
(French) demanding, hard to please, asking a lot, insisting on one's rights
exiger
(French) to demand
exigu (m.), exiguë (f.)
(French) tiny
Exil
(French m.) exile
Exilé (m.), Exilée (f.)
(French) exile
exiler
(French) to exile
Exilliteratur
(German f.) German literature written by authors who fled Nazi Germany during World War II
existant (m.), existante (f.)
(French) existing
Existence
(French f.) existence
Existentialism
a twentieth-century philosophy arguing that ethical human beings are in a sense cursed with absolute free will in a purposeless universe. Therefore, individuals must fashion their own sense of meaning in life instead of relying thoughtlessly on religious, political, and social conventions. These merely provide a façade of meaning according to existential philosophy
(from the Latin exire, to goes out) a direction, often placed in the margin of opera scores, libretti, etc., marking the time when a particular actor or actors is to leave the stage
(English s.) means of leaving a building, etc., a way out, uscita (Italian f.), Ausgang (German m.), sortie (French f.), salida (Spanish f.)
Exit aria
in eighteenth-century opera seria, an aria that occurs at the end of a scene after which the singer leaves the stage, aria d'uscita (Italian f.)
Éxito
(Spanish m.) success
ex libris
(Latin) from the library of, from the books of, an inscription in a book recording ownership
ex necessitate
(Latin) from necessity, having no alternative
Exode
(French m.) exodus
Exodus
(Latin, from Greek exodos) a mass departure from some place. From exodos, the last piece of a Greek tragedy, an episode occurring after the last choral ode and ended by the ceremonial exit of all the actors
ex officio
(Latin) or ex off., by virtue of office, by right of office
Exon.
abbreviation of Exonia (Latin: Exeter), Exoniensis (Latin: (Bishop) of Exeter)
Exonération
(French f.) exemption
exonérer
(French) to exempt
exonérer de
(French) to exempt from
exor
abbreviation of 'executor'
exorbitant (m.), exorbitante (f.)
(French) exorbitant
exorciser
(French) to exorcise
Exorcist
the second of the minor orders of the ministry; the power of exorcising evil spirits was never confined to this order although they assisted in this process, as well as with the pouring out of water at the mass
Exordium (s.), Exordia (pl.)
(Latin) the opening or introductory part of a speech or composition
Exoteric music
music meant to be easily comprehended and performed by anyone with little musical training
Exotic
a label given to a place, people, culture, or thing in order to engage interest through emphasising differences. Artistic and literary works have long used using the exotic as marketing ploy. It plays on the human tendency to be curious about the unfamiliar while wishing to remain safe from the unknown. While outwardly the exotic is usually presented in a positive light, for added excitement, danger is presumed to lie just beneath its surface
Exotica
a delicious brand of kitschy light lounge music that playfully borrows from various brands of world music, especially Latin American and Caribbean styles
Pauline Oliveros conceived of the 'Expanded Instrument System' (EIS) in the 1960s as an interactive electronic sound processing environment designed for improvising musicians. In the 1990s, with David Gamper and Stuart Dempster, she formed the 'Deep Listening Band' in which Oliveros plays accordian, Gamper plays keyboards, Dempster plays trombone and didjeridoo, and they all play the EIS
(French) sender, an agent who arranges the despatch of goods on behalf of another person
Experientia docet
(Latin) experience teaches (us), we learn from experience
Expédition
(French f.) dispatch, expedition (journey)
expéditif (m.), expéditive (f.)
(French) quick
exper.
abbreviation of 'experimental'
Expérience
(French f.) experience, experiment (scientific)
expérimental
(French) experimental
Experimental music
experimental music is any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is. There is an overlap with avant-garde music. John Cage was a pioneer in experimental music and defined and gave credibility to the form. David Cope (1997), describes experimental music as that, "which represents a refusal to accept the status quo"
also EIL or the 'Experiment', an organization offering high school, language, summer camp volunteer programmes of international cross-cultural education for high school students in the United States. The Experiment in International Living introduced the concept of a homestay to the world when it was founded in 1932, placing "Experimenters" in the homes of host families to enhance the intercultural and/or language study aspects of each programme
(Latin) a heading indicating the end of a section of text (rather like finis), the last few words of a manuscript treatise recorded for purposes of identification
also called a plosive or a stop, in linguistics, a sound made by completely blocking and then quickly unblocking the flow of air
expn
abbreviation of 'exposition'
Exponentialschreibweise
(German f.) scientific notation
Exportateur (m.), Exportatrice (f.)
(French) exporter
exportateur (m.), exportatrice (f.)
(French) exporting
Exportation
(French f.) export
exporter
(French) to export
Exposant (m.), Exposante (f.)
(French) exhibitor
Exposé
(French m.) talk, account (of an event), explanation, a revelation of something discreditable
Exposed intervals
in a harmonic progression, hidden fifths or octaves between the outer voices
exposer
(French) to display, to show, to explain, to introduce (for example, to introduce a theme), to endanger (life) [entry suggested by Annie Levac]
exposer à
(French) to expose to
exposer au ...
(French) facing ...
Exposición
(Spanish f.) exposition
Exposition
(English, French f., German f.) the part of a work, in sonata form, where the principal themes are first stated, or in a fugue, where the voices first enter
in literature, the use of authorial discussion to explain or summarize background material rather than revealing this information through gradual narrative detail
(French f.) display, exhibition (salon)
Exposition à
(French f.) exposure to
Exposition cards
postcards issued as souvenirs for expositions and fairs. Most expositions had an official set of cards made depicting its attractions, many of which are very large in number. Other publishers might also print unofficial exposition cards as well. It was common to hold regional and international expositions since the mid 19th century to promote trade, and postcards played an important role in this especially since 1893
ex post facto
(Latin) after the fact, retrospectively
expr.
abbreviation of 'express'
exprès
(French) specially, on purpose (deliberately)
exprès (m.), expresse (f.)
(French) express
Expresión
(Spanish f.) expression
Expressão
(Portuguese) expression
expressément
(French) expressly
expressément pour l'orgue
(French) expressly for the organ
expressif (m.), expressive (f.)
(French) expressive
Expression
(English, French f.) espressione (Italian f.), Ausdruck (German m.), the act of revealing the spiritual and emotional contents of a composition, of interpreting the conceptions of the author, and of demonstrating the intermingling of these with the personality of the performer. In some cases marks, called 'expression marks' are added by the composer (or by a third party) to guide the player
Expression corporelle
(French f.) physical expression
Expressionism
the term applied to early twentieth-century works of art, including music, where the work expresses the artist or composer's state of mind
one of the early 'avant=-garde' jazz forms, characterised by high energy and periods when soloists would improvise on simple themes
Expressionismus
(German m.) expressionism
Expressionist dance
a European dance form related to the German expressionist movement. Although considered as a part of the greater modern dance movement it is separate from 'Modern dance' per se
an indication in a musical score where the composer wishes changes in the intensity or dynamics (louder or softer), tempo (quicker or slower) or articulation (stronger or weaker, detached or legato). It can be argued that any musical parameter can be used to expressive effect. Thus, pitch may be varied through the use of portamento or vibrato. However, pitch is generally not included under this heading
Expression pedals
pedals used by an organist to manipulate the adjustable louvres (louvers) or 'Swell Shades' with which enclosed divisions of the organ are provided. The shades increase or decrease the volume, enabling the organist to give expression to the division or to adjust the volume of solo stops
Expression piano
an automatic piano, usually electrically operated, in which it is possible to vary the dynamic level during the performance. The variation can be achieved by operating shutters (like a swell box in an organ), by changing the suction level (the greater the suction, the louder the sound) or, on cylinder-operated instruments, by having pins of different lengths
Expression stop
found on the 'harmonium', the 'expression stop' is a valve which shuts off the wind-reservoir and thus the whole management of the wind is given over to the performer, who by the greater or lesser quantity furnished through the direct use of the bellows pedal(s), can play more or less loud, increase and decrease the tone at leisure
Expression, with
see 'with expression'
Expressive aphasia
see 'Broca's aphasia'
Expressive organ
harmonium
exprimer
(French) to express (an opinion, etc)
ex professo
(Latin) professedly
expt
abbreviation of 'experiment'
exptl
abbreviation of 'experimental'
exptr
abbreviation of 'exporter'
expulser
(French) to expel, to evict, to send off (football, etc.)
Expulsion
(French f.) expulsion, eviction
expurg.
abbreviation of 'expurgate'
expurger
(French) to expurgate
exquis (m), exquise (f)
(French) exquisite
exr
abbreviation of 'executor'
exrx
abbreviation of 'executrix'
exs
abbreviation of 'expenses'
ex silencio
(Latin) an argument advanced on the basis of something that might be expected but is found to be missing from an argument
(Latin, from ex tempore) on the spur of the moment, without prior preparation, unpremeditated, improvised
extemporieren
(German) to play on the spur of the moment, to play without prior preparation, to play extempore
extemporiren
(German, archaic) extemporieren
Extemporisation
improvisation, the art of composing at sight
Extemporise
to improvise, to compose at sight, improvvisare (Italian), extemporieren (German), improviser
Extemporize
to improvise, to compose at sight
Extended chords
see 'extended tertian sonorities'
Extended chord tuning
open tuning that allows a guitarist to play open seventh, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth chords. One or more of the strings is retuned to the appropriate note of the required scale. Such tunings may be either minor or major
notes beyond the normal range of a voice or of an instrument
Extended effects
the effects produced by employing extended techniques, for example, plucking the strings inside a piano
Extended dominant
a non-diatonic dominant 7th chord that resolves downwards to another dominant chord. A series of extended dominant chords continues to resolve downwards by perfect 5ths until they reach the tonic chord. Typically used in jazz, extended dominants have been used in other contexts as well
music is normally written in phrases of four or eight bars. Songs of 32 bars length will usually be comprised of eight four-bar phrases or four eight-bar phrases. Extended, and sometimes truncated phrases, are not uncommon in jazz writing. This is one of many ways to bring variety and interest to the writing
a vinyl (PVC) 45 revolutions per minute (rpm) microgroove record, (called EP, for extended play), on which the normal four-minute per side playing time of the standard '45' record was extended to eight minutes
Extended-range bass
a term that refers to an electric bass guitar with more range (usually meaning more strings, but sometimes additional frets are added for more range) than the "standard" 4-string bass guitar. In practical usage, however, the term is often applied more to basses with more than 6 strings, including 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and even 12-string basses. Also, Knuckle Guitar Works produces a bass guitar tuned one octave lower than a "standard" four-string, which is considered an extended-range bass. "Extended range-bass" does not, however, refer to basses with doubled or tripled octave strings
a term used in vocal music to describe a line set at the baseline of the lyric used to show the length of a melisma on a one-syllable word or on the last syllable of a word. In the middle of a word a hyphen would be used instead. By convention the end of the extender line should be aligned flush right with the last note of the melisma and not to a point just before the note after the melisma
an extender line (solid or dotted) might be used to show the extent to which a performance marking (for example, 8va or a courtesy (8va)) is to be observed
Extensão
(Portuguese) compass (pitch range of an instrument or a piece of music)
(Portuguese) extension
extensible
(French) expandable, extendible
extensif (m.), extensive (f.)
(French) extensive
Extensio modi
(Latin, literally 'lengthening of the mode') where ornamental notes are introduced to extend the rhythmic mode, the reverse of fractio modi
Extension
(English, French f.) expansion, lengthening, broadening, extending
a horizontal line placed immediately to the right of a lyric syllable, to show that a syllable must be held during the following note or notes
in dance, term used to describe the ability of a dancer to raise and hold her extended leg en l'air. A dancer is said to have a good extension if, when doing a développé à la seconde, she is able to hold and sustain the raised leg above shoulder level
Extension from which this information has been taken
a note added to a triad to form a four, five or more note chord. In jazz, a chord is assumed to have four notes - these will be root, 3rd, 5th and 7th. Further extensions - 9th, 11th or 13th - are termed upper extensions
(English, French f.) a term used in string playing, for the use of the fourth finger to stop a string above the current position in order to produce a higher note without shifting the whole hand
Extension nut
an ordinary guitar, either electric or acoustic, can be used for playing slide. Often the strings are raised a little higher off the neck than they would be for ordinary guitar playing. This is especially true if the free fingers are not going to be used for fretting. An extension nut may be used to achieve the higher string height at the peghead end of the neck. This is just a normal nut, with the slots filed less deeply, and often in a straight line rather than following the radius of the fretboard
Slide guitar from which this information has been taken
Extension organ
a pipe organ that uses one or more ranks of pipes longer than the length of its keyboards to serve several different organ stops at different pitches. For example, a rank used as an 8' flute may also be used as a 4' flute simply by providing an extra stop control, to connect the keyboard to the pipes an octave above those that would normally sound. Using a single rank of pipes to support more than one speaking stop is generally known as borrowing, and occurs in several contexts other than extension. In this example, there are no pipes in the original rank to correspond to the top octave of the keyboard. In some cases of borrowing, borrowed ranks simply do not sound out of their ranges, and the player must allow for this. The other possibility is to extend the rank upwards by an extra twelve pipes, and the rank is then known as an extended or extension rank
the 'sustain' pedal, the 'loud' pedal, usually the right pedal on a piano
Extensions
additional organ pipes, added to the top or bottom of a rank, to permit using the same rank at more than one pitch. For example, the usual 8' rank has 61 pipes, one for each key on the manual; the largest pipe is 8 feet long, and the pitch sounded on each key is the same as that of the piano (8', or unison, pitch). A pitch one octave higher than unison (4' pitch) can be sounded from the same rank by starting with the lowest key of the manual playing the 13th pipe and so on upward; at the top of the rank a 12-pipe extension must be added to complete the compass of the manual
a term used to describe the ninth (9th), eleventh (11th) and thirteenth (13th) of a chord (the thirteenth can be written also as a sixth (6th))
in the theatre, also called 'supernumerary' or 'super', a walk-on part, most often one in which no words are spoken
Extra
(French m.) special treat (meal)
extra
(French) first-rate
Extraction
(Engish, French f.) removal
Extracto
(Spanish m.) excerpt
extrad.
abbreviation of 'extradition'
extrader
(French) to extradite
Extradition
(English, French f.) the removal of a person to another country
extraire
(French) to extract
extrait
(French) extract, extracted
extra metrum
(Latin, literally 'outside the metre') (a syllable or syllables) not to be counted in scansion
Extraneous
foreign, far-fetched, belonging to a remote key
Extraneous flats
flats that do not belong to the key
Extraneous key
a key not related to the original key
Extraneous modulation
a modulation to a remote, unrelated key
Extraneous sharps
sharps that do not belong to the key
extraordinaire
(French) extraordinary
extraordinario
(Spanish) extraordinary
Extra-textural meaning
meaning that originates not in the text being read, but in another related text, for example, through allusion
Extravagance
(English, French f.) something, usually something quite expensive, beyond necessity
extravagant (m.), extravagante (f.)
(French) extravagant
Extravaganza
(Italian, from stravaganza) stage entertainment with music, written in a free informal style
in some circumstances, this term is applied to a decoration or performance that is considered eccentric, irregular, redundant or in bad taste
Extravert (m.), Extravertie (f.)
(French) extrovert
Extreme
augmented state, when talking about intervals
the lowest and highest parts in speaking of part-writing or part-music
an unrelated key, when speaking of keys
extreme sixth, the name occasionally given to the chord of the augmented sixth
Extrême
(French m.) extreme
extrême
(French) extreme
Extreme interval
augmented interval
Extreme key
a remote key, generally one with a great many sharps or flats, specifically the major keys with five or more sharps or flats and their relative minors
Extremely
to the greatest degree, very much, estremamente (Italian), sehr (German), extrêmement (French)
Extremely fast
very quick, as quick as possible, allegro molto (Italian), presto (Italian), prestissimo (Italian) , sehr schnell (German), très vite (French)
extrêmement
(French) extremely
extrêmement lent
(French) lentissimo, largo assai
Extreme metal
a broad term of heavy metal music sub-genres that are characterised by more aggressive styles, such as black metal, death metal, grindcore, and thrash metal
Extrême-Orient
(French m.) Far East
Extreme parts
the highest and lowest parts, whatever voices or instruments may be employed. Should the bass have a pedal note, then the part next above that is considered the lowest of the extreme parts
Extreme sixth
a name occasionally given to the interval of an augmented sixth
Extrémiste
(French m./f.) extremist
Extrémité
(French f.) extremity, end, dire straits (misery)
extrémités
(French) extremes
Extro
or outro (sometimes "outtro"), is a literary term used to indicate the conclusion to a piece. It is the opposite of an intro.
In music, the proper term for this is the recapitulation, or in short, the 'recap'. 'Outro' is a more informal way of expressing this
Exubérance
(French f.) exuberance
exubérant (m.), exubérante (f.)
(French) exuberant
exulter
(French) to exult
Exultet roll
a manuscript roll from which a deacon read the liturgy for Easter, with pictures places inverted with respect to the text so as to be visible to the congregation as the roll wrapped over the pulpit, originating almost exclusively from southern Italy
ex ungue leonum
(Latin, literally 'you can judge a lion from its paw') you can judge the whole by a part
Exutoire
(French m.) outlet
Exuviae
(Latin) cast-off skins, shells, etc. of living creatures
ex voto
(Latin) (an offering, a deed, etc.) made in pursuance of a vow (or a prayer answered)
exx
abbreviation of 'examples', 'executrix'
Eye dialect
a type of metaplasmus using unconventional spellings to represent conventional pronunciation
Eye-hand span
the ability to sight read partly depends on a strong musical memory. An experiment on sight reading using an eye tracker indicates that highly skilled musicians tend to look ahead further in the music, storing and processing the notes until they are played; this is referred to as the eye-hand span
Eye music
Augenmusik (German), music that is pleasing or puzzling to the eye, regardless of how it sounds to the ear. In some cases, the music may make no sense to the ear, but has a secret puzzle or message when visually analyzed. This music was most common in the Middle Ages and Renaissance eras
rhyming words that seem to rhyme when written down as text because parts of them are spelled identically, but which are pronounced differently from each other in modern English. Examples include forth/worth, come/home, bury/fury, stove/shove, or ear/bear