Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Portable.
  • adjective Capable of or used in carrying.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as portative organ (which see, under organ).
  • Portable; easily carried.
  • Of or pertaining to carrying or the power of carrying: as, a “portative memory,”

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Portable.
  • adjective (Physics) Capable of holding up or carrying.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective portable
  • adjective obsolete Capable of holding up or carrying.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English portatif, from Old French, from Latin portāre, to carry; see per- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Compare French portatif.

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Examples

  • Note 32: It is difficult to determine whether there is an unoccupied hook at the top of the cabinet above the portative organ. back

    Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008

  • There are also a third of the books and half the number of items found in Urbino's cabinets. 26 Although music remains the dominant discipline, with 13 instruments evenly dispersed and an opened manuscript in a northwest cabinet,27 only a portative organ is readily at hand.

    Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008

  • The painting portrays Renaissance instruments with great accuracy: a tenor or alto shawm, a precursor of the English horn; a Gothic harp; a brass trumpet; a portative organ; a vielle, an early form of violin; a soprano or treble shawm, a distant forerunner of the oboe; a lute; three recorders; a dulcimer being struck by a light hammer; and a harp.

    Archive 2009-06-01 2009

  • The painting portrays Renaissance instruments with great accuracy: a tenor or alto shawm, a precursor of the English horn; a Gothic harp; a brass trumpet; a portative organ; a vielle, an early form of violin; a soprano or treble shawm, a distant forerunner of the oboe; a lute; three recorders; a dulcimer being struck by a light hammer; and a harp.

    Ave Regina Caelorum 2009

  • Davitt Maroney's program notes for the amazing Striggio mass performed at the Berkeley Festival indicate that in its time, lavish forces would have backed the singers, rendering his choice of sackbutts, cornetts, and pairs of portative organs and harpsichords conservative.

    Archive 2008-06-01 Lisa Hirsch 2008

  • Davitt Maroney's program notes for the amazing Striggio mass performed at the Berkeley Festival indicate that in its time, lavish forces would have backed the singers, rendering his choice of sackbutts, cornetts, and pairs of portative organs and harpsichords conservative.

    Arrangements Lisa Hirsch 2008

  • The Countess of Sandport lent her cherished portative wind-organ and an ensemble of musicians to enhance the dignity of the feast of welcome and the coronation ceremony itself, while the gleemen of Lord Mosstor would provide earthier entertainment during the reception and grand banquet scheduled to wind up the celebration tomorrow.

    Conqueror's Moon May, Julian 2003

  • Daalny came carefully down the steps of the guesthall with a handsome portative organ in her arms, craning her slender neck to peer round her burden to find the edge of every step, for R'my's instruments were precious almost beyond the value he put on his singer.

    The Holy Thief Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1992

  • He was busy mending the bellows of his little portative organ when they walked in upon him, but he set it aside willingly enough when he saw the box Girard laid before him.

    The Heretic's Apprentice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1989

  • He was busy mending the bellows of his little portative organ when they walked in upon him, but he set it aside willingly enough when he saw the box Girard laid before him.

    The Heretic's Apprentice Peters, Ellis, 1913- 1989

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