descant

/ˈdɛskænt/
verb
  1. To sing or play a descant above a main melody.
    • The flutist descanted gracefully over the orchestra's theme.
    • He learned to descant on traditional folk songs during his music lessons.
    • During the chorus, the altos descanted while the tenors held the melody.
  2. To talk or write at length about a subject; to comment or elaborate.
    • The blog post descanted on the importance of daily exercise.
    • She descanted for hours about her travels through Southeast Asia.
    • The critic descanted on the director's use of color in the film.
noun
  1. A melody sung or played above the main tune, especially in choral music.
    • The composer wrote a simple descant for the children's choir to perform.
    • The choir added a beautiful descant to the familiar hymn.
    • In the final verse, the sopranos sang a descant above the rest of the chorus.
  2. A long and detailed discussion or commentary on a subject.
    • The professor launched into a lengthy descant on the history of the Roman Empire.
    • I didn't expect such a passionate descant on the benefits of composting.
    • Her descant on modern art lasted for nearly an hour.
What does "descant" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean