Definition of nocturne
: a work of art dealing with evening or night; especially : a dreamy pensive composition for the piano — compare aubade 3
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of nocturne from the Web
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Moran's pianism — by turns as melodic as a nocturne by Chopin and as explosive as a solo by Cecil Taylor — proved consistently gripping.
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Mr. Pollini opened each half of his Chopin program with a pair of nocturnes, in minor and major keys; the F minor, after intermission, was especially fine.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nocturne'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of nocturne
French, adjective, nocturnal, from Latin nocturnus
First Known Use: 1814
NOCTURNE Defined for English Language Learners
nocturne
playDefinition of nocturne for English Language Learners
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: a piece of music especially for the piano that has a soft and somewhat sad melody
Learn More about nocturne
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See words that rhyme with nocturne Spanish Central: Translation of nocturne Nglish: Translation of nocturne for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nocturne
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