gracing

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of grace.

   Her portrait has been gracing the gallery's main hall for years.

   The chef spent the evening gracing each plate with edible flowers.

   Note

   The -ing form drops the silent e of grace, as placing and tracing do. Every verb sense behind it is transitive, so gracing always takes an object: a portrait gracing a hall, a guest gracing an occasion with their presence (the 'honor' sense). The same spelling also works as a countable noun, plural gracings, for the musician's ornamentation.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   The use of a grace note to ornament a melodic line.

   The piper's gracing gave the reel its distinctive lilt.

   Traditional musicians learn gracing by ear rather than from notation.

   Similarornamentation, embellishment

   Note

   Traditional fiddlers, flute players and pipers use the word for ornaments added by feel: cuts, taps and rolls slipped in just before or around a main note so the tune lilts and its rhythm stands out. It grows from the musical verb, to grace a tune, and it can be counted. One player's gracings of a reel may differ from another's, and printed music often leaves them out.

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