diesis

[ dahy-uh-sis ]

noun,plural di·e·ses [dahy-uh-seez]. /ˈdaɪ əˌsiz/. Printing.

Origin of diesis

1
1350–1400; originally, any of several musical intervals smaller than a tone (for which a double dagger was used as a symbol); Middle English <Latin di(h)esis<Greek díesis literally, a sending through, equivalent to die-, base of diïénai to send through (di-di-3 + hiénai to send) + -sis-sis

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How to use diesis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for diesis

diesis

/ (ˈdaɪɪsɪs) /


nounplural -ses (-ˌsiːz)
  1. printing another name for double dagger

  2. music

    • (in ancient Greek theory) any interval smaller than a whole tone, esp a semitone in the Pythagorean scale

    • (in modern theory) the discrepancy of pitch in just intonation between an octave and either a succession of four ascending minor thirds (great diesis), or a succession of three ascending major thirds (minor diesis)

Origin of diesis

1
C16: via Latin from Greek: a quarter tone, literally: a sending through, from diienai; the double dagger was originally used in musical notation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012