segue

²se·gue

verb \ˈse-(ˌ)gwā, ˈsā-\

se·guedse·gue·ing

Definition of SEGUE

intransitive verb

1

: to proceed without pause from one musical number or theme to another

2

: to make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another <segued smoothly into the next story>

Examples of SEGUE

1. She quickly segued to the next topic.
2. The band smoothly segued from one song to the next.
3. In the movie, a shot of the outside of the house segued neatly to a shot of the family inside the house.
4. Then he quickly segues into the dangers of being too hard on cops who make an honest mistake. That turns out to be the moral of the story, the perils of politics intruding on the job. —Ted Conover, New York Times Book Review, 18 Apr. 2004
5. As the Klamath Mountains segue into the Coast Range, moist Pacific air creeps up the river valley in cottony mists. —Bruce Barcott, Mother Jones, May–June 2003
6. But for casual acquaintances, keep your response brief. Just say “I'm happy for him,” and segue into another topic. —Kitty Flynn, Cosmopolitan, December 2000

Origin of SEGUE

(see ¹segue)

First Known Use: circa 1913

Other Music Terms

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