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noun, pl ⋯ chants [count, noncount]
: a type of religious music from the Middle Ages that is sung without instruments
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a type of church music for voices alone, used since the Middle Ages
Word Origin:
[Gregorian chant] mid 18th cent.: named after St Gregory the Great (in Latin Gregorius), who is said to have standardized it.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.