Why this word is great
HOCKET — [Noun] A medieval musical technique where notes or phrases alternate rapidly between voices, creating a disjointed yet cohesive whole; also, a narrow passageway between buildings. From the French hoquet ("hiccup"), of imitative origin, its etymology captures the stuttering, syncopated quality of the musical form. Unlike a "canon" (which layers identical melodies in staggered succession) or an "alley" (a thoroughfare wide enough for purposeful movement), hocket is fragmentation made art, a tight squeeze made architecture. It is the breathless exchange of a single melody between flute and lute, the sliver of sky visible between leaning tenements, or the way laughter hiccups through a crowded room—proof that gaps, too, can form a kind of continuity.