countermelody

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noun

a secondary or supplemental melody played simultaneously with the primary melody.

OriginEnglish melody ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nouncountermelody (plural countermelodies)

plural countermelodies · alternative counter melody · alternative counter-melody

  1. entertainmenta secondary or supplemental melody played simultaneously with the primary melody.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Englishmelody
  13. Englishcountermelody

From counter- + melody.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French contrechant, contre-chant
  • contrechantsecondary or supplemental melody
  • contre-chantsecondary or supplemental melody
Māori rangi pāhekoheko
  • rangi pāhekohekosecondary or supplemental melody
Cite this entry
APA

countermelody. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countermelody

MLA

“countermelody.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countermelody. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “countermelody,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countermelody.

Source: countermelody on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.