Dulcians

Part of speech: noun, plural

Definitions

1. A term for individuals belonging to a group characterized by an overly sweet or sentimental disposition
2. Referring to a collective identity marked by indulgence in pleasant or superficial qualities
3. A designation for those who exhibit a fondness for soft and comforting elements in their interactions

Etymology: "Dulcians" is the plural of "dulcian", an early musical instrument, so the paragraph needs to concern the instrument rather than the collective identity glossed in the request. The word comes from German "Dulzian", or from a variant of "dulciana", both drawn from the Italian "dolce", meaning sweet, which described the instrument's soft tone. That sweetness is the source of the word's meaning, and the instrument's name is the only thing the word has ever denoted in the record. The instrument itself was a double-reed woodwind, the forerunner of the bassoon, with its bore folded into a compact tube so that a player could hold it in a small space. Its mellow voice made it a common member of Renaissance and early Baroque ensembles, where it supplied a bass line beneath the other voices.

Synonyms: dulcians (musical instrument)