n. A sign used in the notation of plainsong during the Middle Ages, surviving today in transcriptions of Gregorian chants. [Middle English, series of notes sung on one syllable, from Medieval Latin pneuma, from Greek, breath; see PNEUMA.] neu·matic (n-mătĭk, ny-) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.