ode

1 of 2

noun

ˈōd 

plural odes

1

: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms

Clifton's ode "homage to my hips"

2

: something that shows respect for or celebrates the worth or influence of another : homage

The museum would be an ode to visual storytelling, drawn from the director's collection of film ephemera and fine art.

—Chanan Tigay

The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America.

—Gourmet

odist

ˈō-dist 

noun

-ode

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Examples of ode in a Sentence

Noun

This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On Friday, the experimental singer released her third LP, Heroina — an ode to femininity that features collaborations with Karol G, Kenia Os, Pabllo Vittar, and Tokischa. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025

The name Snug Harbor is an ode to a bar that used to be in the cannery area in the ’50s. —Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025

The contest was conceived by Grange officials as a fun family activity and an ode to Ramona’s agricultural past, said Karen Carlson, who reorganized the defunct organization earlier this year. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025

Bergdorf Goodman has unveiled its 2025 holiday campaign, The Bergdorf Soirée, an ode to New York’s one-of-a-kind glamour during the holiday season. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

Noun combining form

Greek -odos, from hodos

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ode

• blowed
• bode
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun

ˈōd 

: a lyric poem that expresses a noble feeling with dignity

-ode

2 of 2 noun combining form

ˌōd

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek hodos "way, path"