unison

name

1. (British)A public-sector trade union in the United Kingdom.
2. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of UNISON (“British trade union for public-sector workers”).

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)Identical pitch between two notes or sounds; the simultaneous playing of notes of identical pitch (or separated by one or more octaves).

   “The unison has a pitch ratio of 1:1.”

   “The young principal timpanist, Timothy Genis, was superb throughout, though his sidekick timpanist sometimes lagged in the final unisons.”

2. (uncountable, usually)A sound or note having the same pitch as another, especially when used as the base note for an interval; a unison string.

   “I could not behold him without emotion; when he accosted me, his well-known voice made my heart vibrate, like a musical chord, when its unison is struck.”

3. (uncountable, usually)The state of being in harmony or agreement; harmonious agreement or togetherness, synchronisation.

   “Everyone moved in unison, but the sudden change in weight distribution capsized the boat.”

4. (broadly, uncountable, usually)Two or more voices speaking or singing the same words together.