syncopation

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun (phonology) the loss of sounds from within a word (as in `fo'c'sle' for `forecastle')
noun a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat
noun music (especially dance music) that has a syncopated rhythm

From syncopate + -ion. The phonological sense was first attested in English in the 1530's, the musical sense in the 1590's.

His heart beat with syncopation when he rose at the first note of music. — What Will People Say? A Novel, Rupert Hughes
A light murmur like the rustle of birds' wings went after them, and couples leaned from their tables to watch the perfect syncopation of their steps. — Just Around the Corner: Romance en casserole, Fannie Hurst
The music came down the street and passed beneath the window, accompanied by the care-free shuffling of a pair of old shoes scuffing syncopations on the cement sidewalk. — Penrod, Booth Tarkington

syncope

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