diapason

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See also: diàpașon and diapasón

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin diapason, from Ancient Greek διαπασῶν (diapasôn), that is διά (diá, through) + πασῶν (pasôn, all) (χορδῶν (khordôn, notes)), “through all (notes)”.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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diapason (plural diapasons)

  1. (music) The musical octave.
    • 1818, Iamblichus, translated by Thomas Taylor, Life of Pythagoras[1], page 328:
      2 to 1, which is a duple ratio, forms the [symphony] diapason
  2. (by extension, literary) The range or scope of something, especially of notes in a scale, or of a particular musical instrument.
    Synonyms: range, scope
  3. (music) A tonal grouping of the flue pipes of a pipe organ.
  4. A harmonious outpouring of sound.
    • 1645, John Milton, “At a Solemn Musick”, in Poems of Mr John Milton, Both English and Latin:
      That we on Earth with undiscording voice
      May rightly answer that melodious noise;
      As once we did, till disproportion'd sin
      Jarr'd against natures chime, and with harsh din
      Broke the fair musick that all creatures made
      To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd
      In perfect Diapason, whilst they stood
      In first obedience, and their state of good.
    • 1961, Graham Greene, A Burnt-Out Case:
      he could hear nothing except the rattle of the crickets and the swelling diapason of the frogs []

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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French

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diapason (tuning fork)

Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin diapason, from Ancient Greek διαπασῶν (diapasôn), that is διά (diá, through) + πασῶν (pasôn, all) (χορδῶν (khordôn, notes)), “through all (notes)”.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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diapason m (countable and uncountable, plural diapasons)

  1. (music, uncountable) range, diapason
  2. (countable) a tuning fork
    Synonym: accordoir

Descendants

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  • Portuguese: diapasão

Further reading

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Italian

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Noun

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diapason m (invariable)

  1. (music) tuning fork
    Synonym: corista
  2. diapason
  3. (figurative, by extension) tone (of a voice, conversation, etc.)

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • diapason on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia it
  • diapason in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

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