gradus

¹

[ grey-duhs ]

noun

, Music.

, plural gra·dus·es.

1. a work consisting wholly or in part of exercises of increasing difficulty.

gradus

²

[ grey-duhs ]

noun

, plural gra·dus·es.

1. a dictionary of prosody, especially one that gives word quantities and poetic phrases and that is intended to aid students in the writing of Latin and Greek verse.

gradus

/ ˈɡreɪdəs /

noun

1. a book of études or other musical exercises arranged in order of increasing difficulty
2. prosody a dictionary or textbook of prosody for use in writing Latin or Greek verse

Word History and Origins

Origin of gradus¹

< Latin: grade, step

Origin of gradus²

First recorded in 1755–65; after Gradus ad Parnassum (a step to Parnassus), Latin title of a dictionary of prosody much used in English public schools during the 18th and 19th centuries

Word History and Origins

Origin of gradus¹

C18: shortened from Latin Gradus ad Parnassum a step towards Parnassus, a dictionary of prosody used in the 18th and 19th centuries

Example Sentences

“Gradus ad Parnassum” has for centuries been a name for artistic instruction guides and studies, as well as a seminal counterpoint treatise by Johann Joseph Fux, whose resplendent Chaconne is Rondeau’s penultimate track.

From New York Times

The album’s form is a chronological arch, bookended by Palestrina ricercars from the Renaissance and receding back in time after advancing to a 20th-century midpoint: a ruminative, persuasively fluid “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,” Debussy’s nod to the “Gradus” exercise tradition.

From New York Times

He plays a pair of pieces from Muzio Clementi’s “Gradus” collection, and flanks the Debussy with little-played, moodily lyrical Beethoven preludes.

From New York Times

A survey by Ukrainian market research firm Gradus found that 65% of businesses believed active fighting would be over by the end of 2023 at the latest.

From Reuters

Jaimie Gradus, an associate professor specializing in this subject at the Boston University School of Public Health, previously examined patterns of society-wide psychopathology in her work.

From Scientific American