pricksong means music that is sung from notation written with dots or points, as opposed to by ear; sheet music. It carries an Arena rating of 1680, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pricksong ranks #149 of 12,953 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #217 of 12,956 for Most Ingenious Words, #263 of 12,955 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #491 of 12,955 for Most Elegant Words.
Why “pricksong” is a great word
PRICKSONG — [Noun] Music written in precise notation, especially a composed polyphonic part sung as counterpoint to a plainchant. From Middle English 'prick' (a dot or point used in musical notation) + 'song'. Unlike plainsong, which is a single, unwritten vocal line, or descant, which often implies a spontaneous, soaring treble, pricksong is the architecture of harmony made permanent. It is the inked prick on vellum under the composer's quill, the precise alignment of distinct voices in a stone chapel, and the disciplined breath of singers following a fixed path—a fleeting human attempt to impose order upon the drifting air.
Etymology
From prick + song.
noun
- Music that is sung from notation written with dots or points, as opposed to by ear; sheet music.“Well said, wench, and the prick-song we use shall be our husbands'.”
- A melody performed as a counterpoint to a plainsong.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- plainchant 81% match — Synonym of plainsong. vs pricksong →
- neume 81% match — Any of a set of signs used in early musical notation. vs pricksong →
- plainsong 81% match — A form of monophonic chant in unison using the Gregorian scale, sung in various Christian churches. vs pricksong →
- choirbook 80% match — A hymnal large enough to be used by an entire choir at once in a church or cathedral, and showing all the parts to be sung, used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. vs pricksong →
- organum 80% match — A type of medieval polyphony which builds upon an existing plainsong. vs pricksong →
- contrapuntist 79% match — One skilled in counterpoint. vs pricksong →
- hocket 79% match — In medieval music, a rhythmic linear technique using the alternation of notes, pitches, or chords. A single melody is shared between two (or occasionally more) voices such that alternately one voice sounds while the other rests. vs pricksong →
- superius 79% match — The highest voice or part in early polyphony. vs pricksong →