[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

accompaniment \accom"paniment\ -ment, n. f.
   accompagnement.
   that which accompanies; something that attends as a
   circumstance, or which is added to give greater completeness
   to the principal thing, or by way of ornament, or for the
   sake of symmetry. specifically: mus. a part performed by
   instruments, accompanying another part or parts performed by
   voices; the subordinate part, or parts, accompanying the
   voice or a principal instrument; also, the harmony of a
   figured bass. --p. cyc.
   1913 webster

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

accompaniment
     n 1: an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in
          connection with another syn: concomitant, co-occurrence
     2: a subordinate musical part; provides background for more
        important parts syn: musical accompaniment, backup, support
     3: the act of accompanying someone or something in order to
        protect them syn: escort
see also:
concomitant co-occurrence musical accompaniment backup support escort 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

111 moby thesaurus words for "accompaniment":
   accession, accessory, accordance, addenda, addendum, additament,
   addition, additive, additory, additum, adjunct, adjuvant,
   agreement, alliance, alto, annex, annexation, appanage, appendage,
   appendant, appurtenance, appurtenant, association, attachment,
   augment, augmentation, baritone, bass, basso continuo,
   basso ostinato, bassus, cahoots, canto, cantus, cantus figuratus,
   cantus planus, co-working, coaction, coda, coetaneity,
   coetaneousness, coevalneity, coevalness, coexistence, coincidence,
   collaboration, collectivity, collusion, combination,
   combined effort, complement, concert, concerted action,
   concomitance, concomitant, concordance, concourse, concurrence,
   confluence, conjunction, consilience, conspiracy, contemporaneity,
   contemporaneousness, continuation, continuo, contralto,
   cooperation, corollary, correspondence, descant, drone, extension,
   extrapolation, figured bass, fixture, ground bass, increase,
   increment, isochronism, junction, line, offshoot, parasitism, part,
   pendant, plain chant, plain song, prick song, reinforcement,
   saprophytism, side effect, side issue, simultaneity, soprano,
   supplement, symbiosis, synchronism, synchronization, synergy,
   tailpiece, tenor, thorough bass, treble, undergirding, undersong,
   union, unison, united action, voice, voice part

Accompaniment >> A Words
Accompaniment, definition of term: Accompaniment
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