Des"cant (?), n. [OF. descant, deschant, F. d'echant, discant, LL. discantus, fr. L. dis + cantus singing, melody, fr. canere to sing. See Chant, and cf. Descant, v. i., Discant.]
1. Mus. (a)
Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song.
(b)
The upper voice in part music.
(c)
The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble.
Grove.
Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make descant upon plain song.
Tyndale.
She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous descant sung.
Milton.
⇒ The term has also been used synonymously with counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the French d'echant, of the 12th century.
2.
A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments.
Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant!
De Quincey.
© Webster 1913.
Des*cant" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Descanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Descanting.] [From descant; n.; or directly fr. OF. descanter, deschanter; L. dis- + cantare to sing.]
1.
To sing a variation or accomplishment.
2.
To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large.
A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions.
Addison.
© Webster 1913.