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

The holiday flavor was an ode to one of Anderson’s earlier childhood memories of chowing down rhubarb sticks dipped in sugar straight from her grandmother’s garden. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

Perhaps the top contender on Harrison's list of best bath products is this bath mat from Dorai, which received its own ode in 2025. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026

In the Garden Wing, there’s an open-air greenhouse called The Orchid—an ode to Singapore’s national flower that’s worth a visit. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Don’t forget her Supervinyl hat, too—an ode to the popular Hollywood record store. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

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"