Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In music:
  • noun An interval having the ratio 1:1½ or 2:3—that is, a perfect fifth.
  • noun A rhythm in which three minims are made equal to a preceding two. Compare hemiolia.
  • noun In organ-building, a variety of mixture.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun music Describing a ratio of 3:2
  • noun music An organ stop that uses two ranks of different pipes

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.

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Examples

  • * Nam quum sesquialtera parte superior esset, praedicat se habere in magna copia liberos: [779] 1

    Commentary on Genesis - Volume 2 1509-1564 1996

  • -- Ed. [78] Nam quum sesquialtera parte superior esset, praedicat se habere in magna copia liberos.

    Commentary on Genesis - Volume 2 1509-1564 1996

  • An interesting point about this shanty is that, whether by accident or design, it exhibits a rhythmic device commonly practised by mediæval composers, known as _proportio sesquialtera_.

    The Shanty Book, Part I, Sailor Shanties Richard Runciman Terry 1901

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