Also 5 -aunce. [a. 14th c. F. consonance (now consonnance), ad. L. consonāntia harmony, agreement, f. consonānt-em pr. pple.: see CONSONANT and -ANCE.]
1. Correspondence of sounds in words or syllables; recurrence of the same or like sounds, e.g., in a verse; = ASSONANCE 1.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xvi. (Arb.), 184. By vsing like cases, tenses, and other points of consonance, which they called Omoioteleton.
1593. Norden, Spec. Brit., I. 10. Tranton … hath no such semblable consonance with Trinobantum.
a. 1698. Temple, On Poetry (Seager). With allusions of words, or consonance of syllables.
1779–81. Johnson, L. P., Gray, Wks. IV. 306. The ode is finished before the ear has learned its measures, and consequently before it can receive pleasure from their consonance and recurrence.
1862. Marsh, Eng. Lang., 401. I think the introduction of these consonances a very happy feature in Mr. Longfellow’s hexameters.
1871. R. F. Weymouth, Euph., 5. Consonances are heard in such pairs of words as canonized, eternized … dissolute, resolute.
2. Agreement of sounds; pleasing combination of sounds. (In later use with allusion to 3.)
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits (1616), 228. To be called by a good surname, and a gracious Christian name, which may deliuer a pleasing consonance to the eare.
1728. Thomson, Spring, 295 (1738). Winds and Waters flow’d in consonance.
1814. Southey, Roderick, XVII. 43. The quiet sound of gentle winds and waters with their lulling consonance.
3. Mus. The sounding together of two notes in harmony; the quality or fact of being CONSONANT or concordant. (Opposed to DISSONANCE.)
1694. W. Holder, Harmony (1731), 59. Thus far the Rates and Measures of Consonance lead us on.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Notes in consonance constitute harmony, as notes in succession constitute melody.
1784. J. Potter, Virt. Villagers, II. 149. Joining several voices, or instruments, in consonance.
1881. Broadhouse, Mus. Acoustics, 291. Helmholtz has well illustrated the consonance and dissonance of the various notes of the scale by a graphic illustration.
b. A consonant ‘interval’ or combination of two notes, a concord.
1624. Wotton, Archit. (1672), 34. The two principal Consonances, that most ravish the ear, are … the fifth, and the octave.
1878. C. H. H. Parry, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 159. Beats are … most noticeable in unisons and consonances.
1884. Bosanquet, Encycl. Brit., XVII. 106/2 (Music), The definition of consonances as intervals which can be tuned free from beats lies at the basis of almost all music.
4. Acoustics. The sounding of a body, e.g., a tuning-fork, in sympathy with the vibration of another body of the same pitch sounded near it.
1882. in Syd. Soc. Lex.
5. fig. Agreement, harmony, concord. (The earliest sense in Eng.)
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, Prol. They write … by suche consonance That in theyr bokes was no variaunce.
1592. A. Day, Eng. Secretarie, I. (1625), 31. The consonance and agreement they have either with reputation or dignity.
1623. Favine, Theat. Hon., II. xiii. 201. With whom they have consonance enough in manners.
1854. Marion Harland, Alone, x. Consonance of feeling and sentiment.
b. Phr. In consonance with.
1828. Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., II. 492. The discoveries of philosophy are in consonance with the details … given in the Sacred Writings.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xiv. 347. She is merely acting in consonance with her husband’s expressed wish.
