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Harmony definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

H`ARMONY, n. [L. harmonia; Gr. a setting together, a closure or seam, agreement, concert, to fit or adapt, to square.]
1. The just adaptation of parts to each other, in any system or composition of things, intended to form a connected whole; as the harmony of the universe.
Equality and correspondence are the causes of harmony.
All discord,harmony not understood.
2. Just proportion of sound; consonance; musical concord; the accordance of two or more intervals or sounds, or that union of different sounds which pleases the ear; or a succession of such sounds, called chords.
Ten thousand harps that tuned Angelic harmonies.
3. Concord; agreement; accordance in facts; as the harmony of the gospels.
4. Concord or agreement in views, sentiments or manners, interests, etc., good correspondence; peace and friendship.
The citizens live in harmony.
5. Natural harmony,in music, consists of the harmonic triad or common chord. Artificial harmony, is a mixture of concords and discords. Figured harmony, is when one or more of the parts move, during the continuance of a chord,through certain notes which do not form any of the constituent parts of that chord.
6. Perfect harmony implies the use of untempered concords only. Tempered harmony is when the notes are varied by temperament. [See Temperament.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: compatibility in opinion and action [syn: harmony, harmoniousness]
2: the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords [syn: harmony, musical harmony]
3: a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole [syn: harmony, concord, concordance]
4: agreement of opinions [syn: harmony, concord, concordance]
5: an agreeable sound property [ant: dissonance]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -nies) Etymology: Middle English armony, from Anglo-French armonie, from Latin harmonia, from Greek, joint, harmony, from harmos joint — more at arm Date: 14th century 1. archaic tuneful sound ; melody 2. a. the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord b. the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords c. the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords 3. a. pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts <a painting exhibiting harmony of color and line> b. correspondence, accord <lives in harmony with her neighbors> c. internal calm ; tranquillity 4. a. an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative b. a systematic arrangement of parallel literary passages (as of the Gospels) for the purpose of showing agreement or harmony

Britannica Concise

Combination and relation of simultaneous musical notes, and the science of the structure, relation, and progression of individual harmonies in a piece of music. Harmony has always existed as the "vertical" aspect of older music that is primarily contrapuntal; the rules of counterpoint are intended to control consonance and dissonance, which are fundamental aspects of harmony. However, the sense of harmony as dominating the individual contrapuntal lines followed on the invention of figured bass and the continuo c.1600. The most influential theory of harmony, that of J.-P. Rameau, followed in the 18th cent. and employed the symbols of figured bass. Tonality is principally a harmonic concept, and is based not only on a seven-note scale of a given key but on a set of harmonic relations and progressions based on triads (three-note chords) drawn from the scale.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a a combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions, esp. as having a pleasing effect. b the study of this. 2 a an apt or aesthetic arrangement of parts. b the pleasing effect of this. 3 agreement, concord. 4 a collation of parallel narratives, esp. of the Gospels. Phrases and idioms: in harmony 1 (of singing etc.) producing chords; not discordant. 2 (often foll. by with) in agreement. harmony of the spheres see SPHERE. Etymology: ME f. OF harmonie f. L harmonia f. Gk harmonia joining, concord, f. harmos joint

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Thorough bass Thor"ough bass` (Mus.) The representation of chords by figures placed under the base; figured bass; basso continuo; -- sometimes used as synonymous with harmony.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Harmony Har"mo*ny, n.; pl. Harmonies. [ F. harmonic, L. harmonia, Gr. ? joint, proportion, concord, fr. ? a fitting or joining. See Article. ] 1. The just adaptation of parts to each other, in any system or combination of things, or in things, or things intended to form a connected whole; such an agreement between the different parts of a design or composition as to produce unity of effect; as, the harmony of the universe. 2. Concord or agreement in facts, opinions, manners, interests, etc.; good correspondence; peace and friendship; as, good citizens live in harmony. 3. A literary work which brings together or arranges systematically parallel passages of historians respecting the same events, and shows their agreement or consistency; as, a harmony of the Gospels. 4. (Mus.) (a) A succession of chords according to the rules of progression and modulation. (b) The science which treats of their construction and progression. Ten thousand harps, that tuned Angelic harmonies. --Milton. 5. (Anat.) See Harmonic suture, under Harmonic. Close harmony, Dispersed harmony, etc. See under Close, Dispersed, etc. Harmony of the spheres. See Music of the spheres, under Music. Syn: Harmony, Melody. Usage: Harmony results from the concord of two or more strains or sounds which differ in pitch and quality. Melody denotes the pleasing alternation and variety of musical and measured sounds, as they succeed each other in a single verse or strain.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

the motion of the point A, of the foot of the perpendicular PA, when P moves uniformly in the circumference of a circle, and PA is drawn perpendicularly upon a fixed diameter of the circle. This is simple harmonic motion. The combinations, in any way, of two more simple harmonic motions, make other kinds of harmonic motion. The motion of the pendulum bob of a clock is approximately simple harmonic motion. Harmonic proportion. See under Proportion. Harmonic series or progression. See under Progression. Spherical harmonic analysis, a mathematical method, sometimes referred to as that of Laplace's Coefficients, which has for its object the expression of an arbitrary, periodic function of two independent variables, in the proper form for a large class of physical problems, involving arbitrary data, over a spherical surface, and the deduction of solutions for every point of space. The functions employed in this method are called spherical harmonic functions. --Thomson & Tait. Harmonic suture (Anat.), an articulation by simple apposition of comparatively smooth surfaces or edges, as between the two superior maxillary bones in man; -- called also harmonic, and harmony. Harmonic triad (Mus.), the chord of a note with its third and fifth; the common chord.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(harmonies) 1. If people are living in harmony with each other, they are living together peacefully rather than fighting or arguing. We must try to to live in peace and harmony with ourselves and those around us... 2. Harmony is the pleasant combination of different notes of music played at the same time. ...complex vocal harmonies. ...singing in harmony. N-VAR 3. The harmony of something is the way in which its parts are combined into a pleasant arrangement. ...the ordered harmony of the universe...

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Concord (especially of sounds or tones), accord, accordance, consonance, concordance, unison, agreement, chime. 2. Adaptation, correspondence, consistency, congruity, congruence, fitness, suitableness. 3. Peace, amity, friendship; kind feeling, good understanding.

Foolish Dictionary

From the Grk. arnumi, strain. Hence, full of strains.

Moby Thesaurus

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