Definition of "plainsong" [plainsong]

• Roman Catholic Church Gregorian chant. (noun)
• Roman Catholic Church Any monophonic medieval liturgical music without strict meter and traditionally sung without accompaniment. Also called plainchant. (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.

• "The masses fall into two (probably chronological) groups: the first consists of those printed in 1532 and those in the manuscript Montserrat 768 (copied 1546), which are primarily parody masses; the second consists of those found in Montserrat 772 (copied 1560), which paraphrase plainsong melodies and reflect the conservatism of Philip II and his court."
• "The Colby College graduate paused from his avocation, as well as his duties as a commercial lender at TD Banknorth's Augusta and Waterville offices, to answer some questions about a spiritual art and craft, also called plainsong, that seems largely neglected in the 21st century."
• "The Accentus must be plainsong, and must be that plainsong which is found in the present typical edition, styled the Vatican Edition, of the "Roman"