rhythm

English Online Dictionary. What means rhythm‎? What does rhythm mean?

English

Etymology

First coined in 1557, from Latin rhythmus, from Ancient Greek ῥυθμός (rhuthmós, “any measured flow or movement, symmetry, rhythm”), from ῥέω (rhéō, “I flow, run, stream, gush”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪð.əm/, [ˈɹɪð.m̩]
  • Rhymes: -ɪðəm
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪθ.əm/

Noun

rhythm (countable and uncountable, plural rhythms)

1. The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.

2. A specifically defined pattern of such variation.

3. A flow, repetition or regularity.

4. The tempo or speed of a beat, song or repetitive event.
5. The musical instruments which provide rhythm (mainly; not or less melody) in a musical ensemble.

6. A regular quantitative change in a variable (notably natural) process.

7. Controlled repetition of a phrase, incident or other element as a stylistic figure in literature and other narrative arts; the effect it creates.

8. A person's natural feeling for rhythm.

Synonyms

• meter / metre
• prosody
• (instruments providing rhythm) rhythm section

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

rhythm (third-person singular simple present rhythms, present participle rhythming, simple past and past participle rhythmed)

1. (transitive) To impart a (particular) rhythm to.