chanson de geste

chanson de geste

noun \-də-ˈzhest\

plural chansons de geste \same\

Definition of CHANSON DE GESTE

: any of several Old French epic poems of the 11th to the 13th centuries

Origin of CHANSON DE GESTE

French, literally, song of heroic deeds

First Known Use: 1833

Rhymes with CHANSON DE GESTE

aptitude test, autosuggest, beauty contest, close to the vest, compound interest, feather one's nest, robin redbreast, simple interest, special interest, under arrest, vested interest

chanson de geste

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of several Old French epic poems that form the core of the Charlemagne legends. More than 80 chansons de geste have survived in 12th- to 15th-century manuscripts. Dealing chiefly with events of the 8th–9th century, they contain a core of historical truth overlain with legend. Most are anonymous. The Chanson de Roland was the formative influence on later chansons de geste, which in turn influenced literature throughout Europe.