Main Entry: ¹mel·an·choly

Pronunciation: \ˈme-lən-ˌkä-lē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural mel·an·chol·ies

Etymology: Middle English malencolie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melancholia, from Greek, from melan- + cholē bile — more at gall

Date: 14th century

1 a : an abnormal state attributed to an excess of black bile and characterized by irascibility or depression b : black bile c : melancholia
2 a : depression of spirits : dejection b : a pensive mood