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canticle
noun
can·ti·cle
ˈkan-ti-kəl
: song
specifically
: one of several liturgical songs (such as the Magnificat) taken from the Bible
Examples of canticle in a Sentence
the monks offered up a canticle at dawn on Easter morning
Recent Examples on the Web
The leaders of this communal canticle were the women of Boygenius — Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2023
The first was Bach’s glorious 12-part canticle, premiered in 1723 as the conclusion of the Christmas Vespers in Leipzig as a sort of meet-your-new-cantor demonstration of his powers.
—Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2021
The first was that the canticle contains an encomium of Saint Dominic, who in Merwin’s eyes was the most villainous churchman of the Middle Ages.
—Robert Pogue Harrison, The New York Review of Books, 17 Aug. 2017
For many students of Dante, Purgatory is the Divine Comedy’s central canticle poetically, philosophically, and psychologically.
—Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2021
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin canticulum, diminutive of canticum song, from cantus, past participle of canere
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of canticle was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near canticle
Cite this Entry
“Canticle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canticle. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
canticle
noun
can·ti·cle
ˈkant-i-kəl
: a song from the Bible used in church services
More from Merriam-Webster on canticle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canticle
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