Descanter

/dɪˈskæntər/ noun

Definition

A person who sings a descant or performs descant parts in music; someone who speaks at length about a topic.

Etymology

From 'descant' + '-er' suffix denoting an agent or person. The musical sense developed in medieval England among church singers; the speaking sense evolved from the discourse metaphor.

Kelly Says

In Renaissance choirs, the descanter was the special vocalist who could handle the tricky high melody—similar to how a lead guitarist in a band has to be technically skilled to play the flashy parts.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.