pricksong
English edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
pricksong (plural pricksongs)
- (now chiefly historical) Music sung from notation written with dots or points, as opposed to by ear; sheet music. [from 15th c.]
- 1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, I.1:
- Well said, wench, and the prick-song we use shall be our husbands'.
- (now chiefly historical) A melody performed as a counterpoint to a plainsong. [from 15th c.]
References edit
- “pricksong”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.