music
- 01 A1 Beginner
sounds that people make by singing or playing instruments, often to express feelings.
an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound organized in time, typically featuring melody, rhythm, and harmony.
Simple“She loves listening to classical music while she studies in the library.”
In context“The composer experimented with unconventional rhythms to create music that challenged the audience's expectations of traditional harmony.”
UsageUncountable noun; does not take an indefinite article or plural 's'.
PitfallI listened to a music. I listened to some music.Music is uncountable; you cannot use 'a' with it or make it plural.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
the written signs on paper that tell a musician which notes to play.
the written or printed representation of a musical composition; notation intended for performance.
Simple“He forgot his music at home, so he had to share a book with another violinist.”
In context“The conductor spent hours annotating his music before the first rehearsal to ensure the orchestra understood his vision for the tempo.”
UsageOften used without an article when referring to the physical pages during a performance.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
any sound that is very pleasant or beautiful to hear.
any sound or combination of sounds characterized by a pleasing or harmonious quality.
Simple“The sound of the rain on the roof was music to her ears.”
In context“To the weary travellers, the distant babbling of the stream was absolute music after three days in the silent desert.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
the use of electronic signals to block or confuse radio communications.
the deliberate transmission of signals intended to disrupt or jam enemy electronic communications.
Simple“The pilots reported heavy music on their radio frequencies during the mission.”
In context“The electronic warfare unit deployed sophisticated music to mask the fleet's movements from coastal radar installations.”
Teacher's tipThis is highly specialized military or technical slang; most native speakers will not recognize this meaning.
Synonyms
Usage music industry · music event · music festival
From Middle English musik, musike, borrowed from Anglo-Norman musik, musike, Old French musique, and their source Latin mūsica, from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ), from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”), an Ancient Greek deity of the arts. By surface analysis, muse + -ic (“pertaining to”). In this sense, displaced native Old English drēam (“music”), whence Modern English dream.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.