Definition of "neume" [neume]

• A sign used in the notation of plainsong during the Middle Ages, surviving today in transcriptions of Gregorian chants. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In any case, using his editions allow any choir to put the language and neume issues on the shelf for a time, while still permitting the Gregorian melody to be sung."
• "Here, there are 19 syllables in Latin and only 15 in English, so you'll have to spread a few of the words out over some neume-groups."
• "That one is used over and over again, and many other neume-types are created from it."