des·cant
ˈdes-ˌkant 
de-ˈskant
de-ˈskant
di-ˈskant
descanted; descanting; descants
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The prefix des-, meaning "two" or "apart", indicates that the descant is a "second song" apart from the main melody. In popular songs a descant will often be sung at the very end to produce a thrilling climax.
Examples of descant in a Sentence
Verb
an English professor who loves to descant on his beloved Shakespeare
the world-famous soprano descanted above the melody line
Recent Examples on the Web
Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
For seven decades, Katz has been providing a visual descant to the work of the New York School of poets, many of whom were his friends.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The Hynde storyline, which includes her messing around with songs on an acoustic guitar, runs as a kind of descant against the personal and professional noise of the Pistols.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2022
Then comes a longer descant of mixed-up work, including bad versions of pop tunes and ambitious attempts at pop epics.
—Adam Gopni, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021
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Noun
Bart, too idiosyncratic merely to copy the idiosyncrasies of the movie’s Christopher Lloyd, instead adds a descant of commentary atop them, sometimes seeming to extemporize a different show entirely.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
For seven decades, Katz has been providing a visual descant to the work of the New York School of poets, many of whom were his friends.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The Hynde storyline, which includes her messing around with songs on an acoustic guitar, runs as a kind of descant against the personal and professional noise of the Pistols.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2022
Then comes a longer descant of mixed-up work, including bad versions of pop tunes and ambitious attempts at pop epics.
—Adam Gopni, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descant. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
descant
1 of 2 noun
des·cant
ˈdes-ˌkant
1
: a melody sung or played usually above a principal melody
2
: a discussion or comment on a subject
descant
2 of 2 verb
des·cant
ˈdes-ˌkant
des-ˈkant
des-ˈkant
1
a
: to sing or play a descant
2
: to talk or write at length
descanted on foreign films
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