Ragtime

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹæɡˌtaɪm/

Definitions

1. A musical genre characterized by syncopated rhythms and lively melodies often associated with early jazz forms
2. A style of music prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that features a syncopated piano accompaniment
3. A form of music that blends African American folk traditions with European musical structures, commonly played on the piano

Etymology: The genre's name is usually traced to "ragged" plus "time," a nod to the syncopation that pulls the beat out of its expected place, so the melody seems to tug against the bass. An alternative theory points to "rag," an American dialect term for a dance ball, which would tie the name to the social dances where the music was played. Both explanations are plausible, and neither is settled. The word is a compound, not a single inherited root, so its meaning rests on how its parts were understood by the people who first used it. Those who played the style were notably focused on rhythm, which makes the "ragged time" reading fit the music well.

Synonyms: jazz, syncopation, rag