cadence

[ keyd-ns ]
See synonyms for: cadencecadencedcadences on Thesaurus.com

nounAlso cadency.
  1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words: the cadence of language.

  2. (in free verse) a rhythmic pattern that is nonmetrically structured.

  1. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement: The chorus line danced in rapid cadence.

  2. the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced: the frenetic cadence of modern life.

  3. a slight falling in pitch of the voice in speaking or reading, as at the end of a declarative sentence.

  4. the general modulation of the voice.

  5. Music. a sequence of notes or chords that indicates the momentary or complete end of a composition, section, phrase, etc.

verb (used with object),ca·denced, ca·denc·ing.
  1. to make rhythmical.

Origin of cadence

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Italian cadenza cadenza

Other words for cadence

Words Nearby cadence

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British Dictionary definitions for cadence

cadence

cadency

/ (ˈkeɪdəns) /


nounplural -dences or -dencies
  1. the beat or measure of something rhythmic

  2. a fall in the pitch of the voice, as at the end of a sentence

  1. modulation of the voice; intonation

  2. a rhythm or rhythmic construction in verse or prose; measure

  3. the close of a musical phrase or section

Origin of cadence

1
C14: from Old French, from Old Italian cadenza, literally: a falling, from Latin cadere to fall

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