Cadencies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rhythmic flow of sounds or speech that creates patterns in music or poetry
2. the harmonious progression toward a resting point in musical compositions
3. a sequence of chords or notes that brings closure or resolution in a piece of music

Etymology: "Cadencies" is the plural of "cadency," which English took from Latin "cadentia," a noun built on "cadere," meaning "to fall." The Latin root gives the word its original physical sense: things that fall, or the act of falling. Music and poetry later borrowed the idea, so that a cadence became the falling away of a phrase toward a point of rest, the moment a melody or line of verse settles. The plural "cadencies" refers to several such patterns or rhythmic flows considered together, each with its own rise and fall of sound. The noun is a fairly rare variant form, and most readers will meet "cadence" in the singular, which is the more common form of the same word.

Synonyms: rhythms, cadences