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

For this collection, each bobblehead is numbered up to 1,776, an ode to 1776. —Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

The complex, under renovation now, will be located just steps from Eataly, the three-story ode to all things Italian. —Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026

But serving as back-up was a giant Kermit the Frog, an ode to Mississippi native and celebrated puppeteer Jim Henson. —Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026

With the arrival of Dry January, the annual ode of kicking off the year alcohol-free, here are a handful of standout spots in Orange County to grab a snazzy sip. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 31 Dec. 2025

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"