Definition of melody
melodies
1 : a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds whilst all the winds with melody are ringing — P. B. Shelley
2 : a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole a hummable melody the piper's fingers play the melody on a pipe called a chanter — Pat Cahill
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Examples of melody in a Sentence
He wrote a piece that includes some beautiful melodies.
a composer known for his love of melody
He sang a few old-fashioned melodies.
Recent Examples of melody from the Web
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This should be a blast for all HMC fans or anyone who loves a good Broadway melody.
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His melodies have become a staple for staff and helps ease the stress of their jobs.
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To support Melodies and Musings - Our Appalachian Legacy.
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With its heart string-pulling gypsy melodies that give way to unbridled dance rhythms, the Sarasate score remains an irresistible masterpiece of its kind (OK, irresistible to me).
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Listeners likely will recognize a familiar melody that seems to invoke sailors to begin dancing.
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Melody Andrade brought her 4-year-old son, Jude, to pay their respects to Cornell.
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Melody Andrade brought her 4-year-old son Jude to memorialize the Seattle rocker.
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Melody Andrade brought her 4-year-old son Jude to memorialize the Seattle rocker.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'melody'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology 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
MELODY Defined for English Language Learners
melody
playDefinition of melody for English Language Learners
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: a pleasing series of musical notes that form the main part of a song or piece of music
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: a song or tune
MELODY Defined for Kids
melody
playDefinition of melody for Students
melodies
1 : pleasing arrangement of sounds
2 : a series of musical notes or tones arranged in a definite pattern of pitch and rhythm
3 : the main part in a musical composition
Learn More about melody
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for melody Spanish Central: Translation of melody Nglish: Translation of melody for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of melody for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about melody
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