Mordent Definition
môrdnt, môr-dĕnt
noun
An ornament made by a single rapid alternation of a principal tone with a subsidiary tone a half step or whole step below: in a double mordent there are two alternations: in an inverted mordent the subsidiary tone is a half step or whole step above the principal tone.
Webster's New World
(music) An ornament consisting of a single alternation between a given pitch, and the one immediately below it.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Mordent
Noun
Singular:
mordent
Plural:
mordentsOrigin of Mordent
-
German from Italian mordente from mordere to bite from Vulgar Latin mordere from Latin mordēre mer- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to mordent using the buttons below.