melody

mel·o·dy

noun \ˈme-lə-dē\

plural mel·o·dies

Definition of MELODY

1

: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds : tunefulness

2

: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole

— me·lod·ic \mə-ˈlä-dik\ adjective

— me·lod·i·cal·ly \-di-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of MELODY

1. He wrote a piece that includes some beautiful melodies.
2. a composer known for his love of melody
3. He sang a few old-fashioned melodies.

Origin of MELODY

Middle English melodie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melodia, from Greek melōidia chanting, music, from melos limb, musical phrase, song (probably akin to Breton mell joint) + aeidein to sing — more at ode

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to MELODY

Synonyms: air, lay, song, strain, tune, warble

Related Words: descant (also discant); cadence, measure, meter, rhythm; ballad, ditty, hymn, lyric, madrigal

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Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, presto, refrain, riff, segue