Identity of pitch; the interval of a perfect prime.
The combination of parts at the same pitch or in octaves.
The act or an instance of speaking the same words simultaneously by two or more speakers.
An instance of agreement; concord.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin ūnisonus, in unison, from Late Latin, monotonous : Latin ūni-, uni- + Latin sonus, sound; see swen- in Indo-European roots.]
1574, from M.Fr. unisson "unison, accord of sound" (16c.), from M.L. unisonus "having one sound, sounding the same," from L.L. unisonius "in immediate sequence in the scale, monotonous," from L. uni- "one" (see one) + sonus "sound" (see sound (n.1)). Sense of "harmonious agreement" is first attested 1650.
Playing or singing the same musical notes, or notes separated from each other by one or several octaves. Musicians who perform in unison are not playing or singing chords.
U"ni*son\ (?; 277), n. [LL. unisonus having the same sound; L. unus one + sonus a sound: cf. F. unisson, It. unisono. See One, and Sound a noise.]1. Harmony; agreement; concord; union. 2. (Mus.) Identity in pitch; coincidence of sounds proceeding from an equality in the number of vibrations made in a given time by two or more sonorous bodies. Parts played or sung in octaves are also said to be in unison, or in octaves. Note: If two cords of the same substance have equal length, thickness, and tension, they are said to be in unison, and their sounds will be in unison. Sounds of very different qualities and force may be in unison, as the sound of a bell may be in unison with a sound of a flute. Unison, then, consists in identity of pitch alone, irrespective of quality of sound, or timbre, whether of instruments or of human voices. A piece or passage is said to be sung or played in unison when all the voices or instruments perform the same part, in which sense unison is contradistinguished from harmony. 3. A single, unvaried. [R.] --Pope. In unison, in agreement; agreeing in tone; in concord.
U"ni*son\ (?; 277), a. [Cf. It. unisono. See Unison, n.]1. Sounding alone. [Obs.] [sounds] intermixed with voice, Choral or unison. --Milton. 2. (Mus.) Sounded alike in pitch; unisonant; unisonous; as, unison passages, in which two or more parts unite in coincident sound.
U"ni*son\ (?; 277), a. [Cf. It. unisono. See Unison, n.]1. Sounding alone. [Obs.] [sounds] intermixed with voice, Choral or unison. --Milton. 2. (Mus.) Sounded alike in pitch; unisonant; unisonous; as, unison passages, in which two or more parts unite in coincident sound.
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