coda

1 of 2

noun

co·​da ˈkō-də 

1

a

: a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure

b

: a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work

2

: something that serves to round out, conclude, or summarize and usually has its own interest

CODA

2 of 2

abbreviation or noun

ˈkō-də 

plural CODAs

: a child and especially a hearing child of adults who are deaf

Growing up in the Cayman Islands as a multiracial young girl and Child Of Deaf Adults (CODA), Byers was bullied throughout her childhood.

—Bianca R. Montes

Often, CODAs spend their lives bridging the gap between the Deaf culture and the hearing culture as they become ASL interpreters for their Deaf parents.

—Joyceann Fileccia

Examples of coda in a Sentence

Noun

The movie's coda shows the main character as an adult 25 years later.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sperm whales communicate via bursts of clicks, called codas, and the researchers—part of a project called the Cetacean Translation Initiative, or CETI—are hoping one day to decipher what the codas mean. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026

Throughout the birth, the team recorded vocalizations known as codas. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026

The final shuttle flight served as a coda to the heady days of the 1960s and ‘70s. —Michael Carrafiello, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026

Writing my memoir would be my coda, my truth. —Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, literally, tail, from Latin cauda

Abbreviation or noun

child of deaf adults

First Known Use

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Abbreviation Or Noun

1991, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coda

• oda
• soda
• toda
• copepoda
• decapoda
• gastropoda
• isopoda
• nematoda
• ostracoda
• pagoda

Kids Definition

coda

noun

co·​da ˈkōd-ə 

: a closing section in a musical composition

Etymology

Noun

Italian, literally, "tail," from Latin coda, cauda "tail" — related to coward, cue entry 3, queue see Word History at coward, queue