▪ I. ‖ syncope, n.
(ˈsɪŋkəpɪ)
Forms: 5 syn-, 5–6 sincopis, 6 cincopis (5–6 -in, 6 -yne); 6–7 syncopa; anglicized 7 sincop, 8 syncop; 7– syncope.
[In earliest use, sincopis, incorrect nom. inferred from sincopin (so in 13th c. OF.), orthographic var. of syncopēn, acc. of late L. syncopē (also syncopa), a. Gr. συγκοπή, f. σύν syn-1 + κοπ-, stem of κόπτειν to strike, beat, cut off, weary. The current form is based directly on the Gr. (Cf. It., Sp., Pg. sincopa.) For the disyllabic syncop, cf. F. syncope (sɛ̃kɔp).]
1. Path. Failure of the heart's action, resulting in loss of consciousness, and sometimes in death.
In quot. 1750 in extended sense, suspension of vitality.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 197 If þere falle ony þing to him as syncopis. Ibid. 205 Sumtyme it makiþ a man to haue sincopin. 1525 [see swowing vbl. n.]. 1527 Andrew Brunswyke's Distyll. Waters M j, The same water is very good agaynst fayntnes and dasyng named Sincopis. 1541 Bk. Properties Herbs H iv, Rose water is good for the Syncopyne. Ibid. I iv b, It is good for..the Synacop [? mispr. for Syncopa]. c 1550 Lloyd Treas. Health I iv, It doth wonderfully comfort in all kinde syncope. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 88 Syncope is a solution of the spirits which forsake the heart. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xxxii. 272 As if she were in a swounding Lipothymy, benumming Sincop. 1713 Gentl. Instructed i. (ed. 5) Suppl. ii. p. xi, Some affirm..that she had certainly expired of a Syncop, had she not [etc.]. 1750 Phil. Trans. XLVII. 54 They [sc. flies and butterflies] came to life after a syncope of longer duration. 1836 Marryat Japhet lxxix, I found poor Mrs. Cophagus in a state of syncope. 1877 F. T. Roberts Handbk. Med. (ed. 3) I. 13 Death beginning at the heart is said to be..by syncope. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VI. 543 In Raynaud's disease spasmodic contraction of the arteries occurs in the stage of ‘local syncope’. |
| fig. a 1651 Sir J. Skeffington Heroe of Lorenzo (1652) 9 The weaknes of our Wills are the Syncopes of Reputation. 1850 Carlyle Latter-d. Pamph. iv. (1872) 138 Defenders of the hypocrisies, the spiritual vampires..under which England lies in syncope. 1855 Motley Corr. (1899) I. vi. 184 Five centuries after the fall of the Western Empire..lasted the syncope, the comatose trance of Europe. |
2. Gram. = syncopation 1. Also attrib. and in Comb.
| 1530 Palsgr. 392 In the future indycatyve and present potenciall I fynde somtyme syncopa used, as pouruoyray..for pouruoyeray. 1579 E. K. Gloss Spenser's Sheph. Cal., May 61 Nas, is a syncope, for ne has, or has not: as nould for would not. 1679 Alsop Melius Inq. i. i. 45 Augustin (or rather Austin; for his Name as well as his Fame suffers a Syncope). 1764 Swinton in Phil. Trans. LIV. 419 Instances of such a syncope, or extrusion,..are not seldom found in..the Old Testament. 1903 Winbolt Lat. Hexam. Verse 212. 1953 K. H. Jackson Lang. & Hist. in Early Britain ii. 614 A Pr[imitive] W[elsh] syncope-form *Car'dig. 1972 Language XLVIII. 350 The same syncope rule which is optional in Russian /stl/ and /stk/ clusters is obligatory in /stn/ and /zdn/ clusters. Ibid., Maximal distinctiveness, hence retention of the consonant, is manifested in the explicit subcode of contemporary standard Russian; whereas partial absence of distinctiveness, hence syncope of the consonant, is manifested in the elliptic subcode. |
† 3. Mus. = syncopation 3. Obs.
| 1653 Ld. Brouncker tr. Des Cartes' Compend. Mus. 53 In these Tunes Dissonances are frequently used instead of Consonances; which is effected two wayes, viz. by Diminution, or Syncope. Ibid. 54 A Syncopa is, when the end of one Note in one voice is heard at the same time with the beginning of one other Note of an adverss part. 1659 C. Simpson Division-Violist i. 16 A Greater Fourth, or Defective Fifth, hath this priviledge..to be joyned, sometimes, to the Basse, without Syncope, or Binding. 1795 Mason Ch. Mus. iv. 249 Syncopes and other foolish artifices. |
¶The following explanation (translated from the Dict. de Trévoux), which is repeated in some later Dicts., appears to be an error.
| 1728 Chambers Cycl., Syncope, in Music, signifies the Division of a Note; used when two or more Notes of one Part answer to a single Note of the other Part. [Omitted in later edd.] |
4. A cutting short; abbreviation, contraction; sudden cessation or interruption. rare.
| a 1658 Cleveland Common Place Wks. (1677) 161 Give me lieve by a less Syncope of Time to contract Good Friday and Easter both to a day. 1679 [see 2]. 1784 Cowper Task ii. 80 Revelry, and dance, and show, Suffer a syncope and solemn pause. 1835 T. Mitchell Aristoph., Acharn. Introd. p. xix, A fourth and fifth campaign, and still no sign of syncope or pause. |
▪ II. † syncope, v. Obs. rare.
Also 5 synkope.
[a. OF. syncoper (14th c.), or ad. late L. syncopāre to syncopate.]
1. trans. a. To cut short, cut down, reduce. b. To syncopate or slur over (a word or syllable).
| c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 4727 And specialy þat he hir duetee Abrigge naght, ne naght syncope hir wages. c 1440 Jacob's Well 108 Þou hast seyd rechelesly þi seruyse in rape, in syncopyng, in ouyr-skyppyng, in omyttyng. Ibid. 115 Þe feend seyde: ‘J bere in my sacche sylablys & woordys, ouerskyppyd and synkopyd’. |
2. Mus. a. intr. To be syncopated. b. trans. To syncopate.
| 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. [with def. of ‘syncope'd’ note as = dotted note, taken from Dict. de Trévoux]. 1752 tr. Rameau's Treat. Musick 62 The Bass must always syncope in that case. Ibid. 112 That Note is said to be syncoped, and is called a Driving-note. 1801 Busby Dict. Mus. s.v., In harmony, there are three syncopes: the first is when all the parts syncope at the same time. |