polyphonous, a.
(pəˈlɪfənəs)
[f. Gr. πολύϕων-ος (see polyphone) + -ous.]
1. = polyphonic 2.
| 1677 Plot Oxfordsh. 13 Tautological Polyphonous Echo's, such as return a word or more, often repeated from divers objects by simple reflection. 1846 Worcester, Polyphonous, having many sounds. Dr. Black. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 36 One of these polyphonous pantomimic gentlemen offers to exhibit himself. |
2. Mus. = polyphonic 1.
| 1872 F. Hüffer in Fortn. Rev. Mar. 277 Hence the prodigious skill in the polyphonous texture of Bach's and Handel's Counterpoint. 1876 Macm. Mag. XXXIV. 193 The rich harmony of polyphonous church music. |
3. Philol. = polyphonic 3.
| 1880 Sayce in Nature 19 Feb. 380/1 [We] cling so tenaciously to our own polyphonous alphabet. 1905 W. T. Pilter tr. König's Bible & Babylon Notes 121 The majority of signs were polyphonous..they had more than one syllable value. 1956 Jrnl. Theol. Stud. VII. 87 Transliterations would have been a great help to a Babylonian in enabling him to read ideograms and to determine the value of polyphonous signs. |