unison
coincidence in pitch of two or more musical tones, voices, etc.
the musical interval of a perfect prime.
the performance of musical parts at the same pitch or at the octave.
a sounding together in octaves, especially of male and female voices or of higher and lower instruments of the same class.
a process in which all elements behave in the same way at the same time; simultaneous or synchronous parallel action: to march in unison.
Idioms about unison
in unison, in perfect accord; corresponding exactly: My feelings on the subject are in unison with yours.
Origin of unison
1Other words from unison
- non·u·ni·son, noun
Words Nearby unison
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use unison in a sentence
I remember thinking that as we moved him in unison from the stretcher to the OR bed.
If Our Politicians Could See What We See: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon on Gun Violence | Jay Wellons | June 23, 2022 | TimeIf you’ve ever seen a bowl of fruit going bad in unison as days go by, know that it’s not because your bananas, pears, and apples made a pact to check out at the same time.
They do things like saying words in unison, they put the words into mouths of prestigious individuals.
The seven sailors point their rifles skyward and fire three times in unison, shattering the silence at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Inside the 80-Year Quest to Name Pearl Harbor's Unknown Victims | W.J. Hennigan | November 23, 2021 | TimeIt swirls into a funnel, then cartwheels to the side, shapeshifting in seemingly effortless unison.
She found a way to make little kitten steps to the microphone in unison with the music.
In a half-circle around a blazing campfire, the women shake rattles in creepy unison.
Billed by the curators as a “dialogue,” the show is ultimately more like two voices communing in completely matched unison.
Pointing to the elevator bank, they say in unison, "Eleventh floor."
Backstage at the Razzie Awards, Honoring Hollywood’s Worst Films | David Eckstein | March 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe sobbed in unison when Meryl Streep could barely talk about her husband without becoming visibly verklempt and touched.
The Most ‘WTF’ Oscar Moments Ever: Rob Lowe’s Duet with Snow White, Sacheen Littlefeather, and the Streaker | Kevin Fallon, Marlow Stern | February 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAlessandro turned a grateful look on Ramona as he translated this speech, so in unison with Indian modes of thought and feeling.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonThe natural result was that anything further than unison coupling was seldom attempted.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerThe twain immediately started, and roared in unison with their host most tremendously!
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various“Out of sight,” comes the general verdict from the crowd, and bang go a dozen beer glasses in unison on the heavy table.
The Real Latin Quarter | F. Berkeley SmithThe deep, dull murmurings of the multitude swelled in unison with the sighings of the storm rising upon the somber night.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. Abbott
British Dictionary definitions for unison (1 of 2)
/ (ˈjuːnɪsən, -zən) /
music
the interval between two sounds of identical pitch
(modifier) played or sung at the same pitch: unison singing
complete agreement; harmony (esp in the phrase in unison)
Origin of unison
1Derived forms of unison
- unisonous, unisonal or unisonant, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for UNISON (2 of 2)
/ (ˈjuːnɪsən) /
(in Britain) a trade union representing local government, health care, and other workers: formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of COHSE, NALGO, and NUPE
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for unison
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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