agogics

noun plural but usually singular in construction

agog·​ics

ə-ˈgä-jiks,

-ˈgō-giks

1

: the musical theory that rhetorical emphasis involves not only dynamic stress but also the emphasis implied in the greater relative length of the tones to be emphasized compare rubato

2

: the quantitative aspect of musical nuances involving all variations from the rigid basic meter (as of retard, pause, accelerando)

Word History

Etymology

German agogik, from Greek agōgē + German -ik -ics

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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