| The American
Heritage® Dictionary of the English
Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
| |
| improvise |
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| SYLLABICATION: |
im·pro·vise |
| PRONUNCIATION: |
  m pr -v z |
| VERB: |
Inflected forms: im·pro·vised,
im·pro·vis·ing, im·pro·vis·es
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| TRANSITIVE
VERB: |
1. To invent, compose, or perform with little
or no preparation. 2. To play or sing (music)
extemporaneously, especially by inventing variations on a melody or
creating new melodies in accordance with a set progression of
chords. 3. To make or provide from available materials:
improvised a dinner from what I found in the refrigerator.
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| INTRANSITIVE
VERB: |
1. To invent, compose, or perform something
extemporaneously. 2. To improvise music. 3. To make do
with whatever materials are at hand.
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| ETYMOLOGY: |
French improviser, from Italian
improvvisare, from improvviso, unforeseen, from Latin
impr vsus : in-, not; see in–1 + prvsus, past participle of prvid re, to foresee; see provide.
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| OTHER
FORMS: |
impro·viser, impro·visor —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights
reserved. |
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