Main Entry: dirge

Pronunciation: \ˈdərj\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English dirige, the Office of the Dead, from the first word of a Late Latin antiphon, from Latin, imperative of dirigere to direct — more at dress

Date: 13th century

1 : a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially : one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites
2 : a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music
3 : something (as a poem) that has the qualities of a dirge

— dirge·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective