Music. intransitive. To play or sing a descant, or a tune harmonized according to the principles of descant; (more generally) to sing harmoniously…

to stay on v.,to stay upon v. To dwell upon (a topic, subject); to sustain or stress (a note in singing). Of the eye: To rest upon, be arrested by…

Music. The execution of a rapid melodic passage, originally conceived as the dividing of each of a succession of long notes into several short ones…

Music. intransitive. To perform or execute ‘divisions’; to descant: see division, n. 7. Obsolete.

Music. To accompany or execute with a shake; also absol. or intransitive to execute a shake (see shake, n.1 5).

Music and Fencing. To give a short fanciful exhibition by way of exercise before the real performance. To play, with a flourish. Also quasi-transitive…

(intransitive) to play or sing in a high-pitched tone; also, to play idly; to tweedle.

Of speech or music, or with reference to these; spec. (see quot. 1876).

(a) transitive to make Wagnerian; (b) intransitive to follow Wagner.

Music. to break a chord: to play the notes in succession instead of simultaneously; cf. spread, v. 14.

transitive. To play or sing (music) in octaves; to play (a note) as a harmonic, in order to complete the octave.

Music. intransitive. To perform a scoop (scoop, n.2 1b).

slang. Of a person or music: to move without interruption from one song or melody to another. Frequently const. into. Also transferred and figurative.

intransitive. Originally U.S. To perform rap music, esp. as a vocalist; to speak rap lyrics or speak rhythmically in the style of rap. Cf. rap, n.2…

intransitive. Originally in African-American usage: to perform a rap; = rap, v.2 8d. Cf. rhyme, n. 2b.

intransitive. To play music using the ‘scratch’ technique (see scratch, n.1 additions); to act as a ‘scratch’ disc jockey.