- Perfect cadence
- Perfect Per"fect, a. [OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait,
F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the
end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see {Per-}) + facere
to make, do. See {Fact}.]
1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not
defective nor redundant; having all the properties or
qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw,
fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure;
sound; right; correct.
[1913 Webster]
My strength is made perfect in weakness. --2 Cor. xii. 9. [1913 Webster]
Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
I fear I am not in my perfect mind. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
O most entire perfect sacrifice! --Keble. [1913 Webster]
God made thee perfect, not immutable. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
2. Well informed; certain; sure. [1913 Webster]
I am perfect that the Pannonains are now in arms. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of flower. [1913 Webster]
{Perfect cadence} (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant.
{Perfect chord} (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave.
{Perfect number} (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See {Abundant number}, under {Abundant}. --Brande & C.
{Perfect tense} (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed. [1913 Webster]
Syn: Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.