See Also: Musical(medicine)
musical(dictionary)
musical(encyclopedia)
MUSICAL COMPOSITION(law)
musical instrument(dictionary)
musical comedy(dictionary)
musical chairs(dictionary)
musical 2, noun(dictionary)
musical 1, adjective(dictionary)
New Musical Express, The(dictionary)

musical (iou)



musical adjective & noun. LME.
[Old & mod. French from medieval Latin musicalis, formed as MUSICA: see -AL1.]
A. adjective.
Of or pertaining to music. LME.
A. Aronson Repeatedly Shakespeare uses musical images to distinguish sanity from insanity. E. Feinstein She had genuine musical talent; a light voice,..but true.
Having the nature or characteristics of music; tuneful, melodious, harmonious; pleasing in sound, euphonious. LME.
J. Conrad The musical clink of broad silver pieces. D. H. Lawrence 'Tea is ready, mother,' she said in a musical, quiet voice.
Fond of or skilled in music. LME.
V. Cronin Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov..too was musical, singing well and playing the violin.
Math. = HARMONIC adjective 4a. L16-E19.
Set to or accompanied by music; including music; that plays music. L17.
Amusing; ridiculous. US colloq. E19.
Special collocations: musical bow a simple musical instrument consisting of a string stretched across the ends of a curved stick, the string being tapped or plucked, often using the mouth-cavity or a gourd etc. as a resonator. musical box a mechanical musical instrument consisting of a revolving toothed cylinder working on a resonant comblike metal plate. musical bumps a (usu. indoor) game to music in which players must sit down on the floor or ground whenever the music stops, the last to sit being eliminated from the game. musical chairs a (usu. indoor) game to music in which players must sit down on a chair whenever the music stops, the one who finds none (there always being fewer chairs than players) being eliminated from the game; fig. a series of changes of roles, esp. of little significance. musical chime a set of bells arranged to play a tune, a carillon. musical clock a clock which produces short tunes at regular intervals. musical comedy a light drama on stage or film, consisting of dialogue, songs, and dancing, connected by a slight plot. musical director spec. the conductor of the orchestra of a theatre. musical dramatist a composer of music dramas. musical drive an exhibition by a military unit in which horses pull along military equipment to the accompaniment of music. musical glasses (a) a set of glasses containing different amounts of liquid, played by finger-pressure on the moistened rims; (b) the glass harmonica. musical instrument: see INSTRUMENT noun 2. musical ride an exhibition of riding to music by a military unit. musical saw a bent handsaw played with a violin bow.
b. noun.
A musical instrument. Only in L15.
A musical performance. Only in L16.
A musical party. Now rare. E19.
A film or a theatrical piece (not opera or operetta) of which music is an essential element; a musical comedy. M20.
musi'cality noun the quality or character of being musical M19.
musicali'zation noun the action or process of musicalizing something E20.
musicalize verb trans. set (a novel, play, or poem) to music; express or render (an art other than music) in the style or manner of music: E20.
musically adverb (a) in a musical manner; (b) as regards music: LME.
musicalness noun musicality L17.