Standard Lemma guide

neume

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /njuːm/
  • General-American: /n(j)um/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːm

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a set of signs used in early musical notation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sequence of notes to be sung to one syllable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From 15th c. Middle English newme, nevme, neme; from Middle French neume, in turn from Medieval Latin neuma or pneuma, either from Ancient Greek νεῦμα (neûma, “sign”), or else a corruption of πνεῦμα (pneûma, “breath”). In the latter case a doublet of pneuma.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: neumi — sign used in early musical notation
  • French: neume — sign used in early musical notation
  • German: Neume — sign used in early musical notation
  • Hungarian: neuma — sign used in early musical notation
  • Italian: neuma — sign used in early musical notation
  • Polish: neuma — sign used in early musical notation
  • Portuguese: neuma — sign used in early musical notation
  • Russian: не́вма (névma) — sign used in early musical notation
  • Serbo-Croatian: nèuma — sign used in early musical notation
  • Serbo-Croatian: нѐума — sign used in early musical notation