syncopation — 1530s, contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds, from M.L. syncopationem (nom. syncopatio) a shortening or contraction, from syncopare to shorten, also to faint away, to swoon, from L.L. syncope (see SYNCOPE (Cf. syncope)). Musical… … Etymology dictionary
syncopation — [siŋ΄kə pā′shən, sin΄kə pā′shən] n. 1. a syncopating or being syncopated 2. syncopated music, a syncopated rhythm, etc. 3. Gram. SYNCOPE … English World dictionary
Syncopation — In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak beats in a meter (pulse). These include a stress on a normally unstressed… … Wikipedia
syncopation — /sing keuh pay sheuhn, sin /, n. 1. Music. a shifting of the normal accent, usually by stressing the normally unaccented beats. 2. something, as a rhythm or a passage of music, that is syncopated. 3. Also called counterpoint, counterpoint rhythm … Universalium
syncopation — [[t]sɪ̱ŋkəpe͟ɪʃ(ə)n[/t]] syncopations N VAR Syncopation is the quality that music has when the weak beats in a bar are stressed instead of the strong ones. There was some nice syncopation and it had a good swing to it... It was jazz music he… … English dictionary
syncopation — UK [ˌsɪŋkəˈpeɪʃ(ə)n] / US noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms syncopation : singular syncopation plural syncopations music a type of musical rhythm in which the weak beats are emphasized instead of the strong beats … English dictionary
syncopation — syncopate ► VERB (usu. as adj. syncopated) ▪ (of music or a rhythm) having the beats or accents displaced so that strong beats become weak and vice versa. DERIVATIVES syncopation noun. ORIGIN from SYNCOPE(Cf. ↑syncope) … English terms dictionary
Syncopation (disambiguation) — Syncopation may have the following meanings. *Syncopation, in music, the stressing of a normally unstressed beat in a bar or the failure to sound a tone on an accented beat. *Syncopation (dance), a specific usage of the term in dance. *… … Wikipedia
Syncopation (dance) — The terms syncopation and syncopated step in dancing are used in two senses: #The first one matches the musical one: stepping on (or otherwise emphasizing) an unstressed beat. For example, ballroom Cha cha is a syncopated dance in this sense,… … Wikipedia
syncopation — noun Date: 1597 1. a temporary displacement of the regular metrical accent in music caused typically by stressing the weak beat 2. a syncopated rhythm, passage, or dance step • syncopative adjective … New Collegiate Dictionary