dis⋅so⋅nance  /ˈdɪsənəns/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dis-uh-nuhns]
–noun
1. inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.
2. Music. a.
a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.
b. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval. Compare consonance (def. 3).
3. disagreement or incongruity.
My KMC Word of the Day for August 14, 2009 is:
tantivy • \tan-TIV-ee\ • adverb
: in a headlong dash : at a gallop
Example Sentence: When his 12 hour shift ended, Baylin was excited to try out some songs on his new guitar so he headed tantivy for home.
Did you know?
"Tantivy" is also a noun meaning "a rapid gallop" or "an impetuous rush." Although its precise origin isn't known, one theory has it that "tantivy" represents the sound of a galloping horse's hooves. The noun does double duty as a word meaning "the blare of a trumpet or horn." The second use probably evolved from confusion with "tantara," a word for the sound of a trumpet that came about as an imitation of that sound. Both "tantivy" and "tantara" were used during foxhunts; in the heat of the chase people may have jumbled the two.