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

Keats's ode "To a Nightingale"

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

Chanel Boyfriend Couture Chanel’s Couture O’Clock capsule collection is an ode to the house’s Parisian couture atelier, and is full of witty references to its founder Coco Chanel and her dressmaking tools. —Sarah Royce-Greensill, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

The new name was an ode to an eight-acre oak tree grove that grew at the center. —Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024

Kate Holland Holland’s geometric creation was no ode to Audrey. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024

This nod to the sport is intentional, as WYN is an ode to being active. —Akili King, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024

Surveyor — the name is an ode to Sonoma County’s unique terroir — was made in partnership with Jesse Katz, the winemaker and founder of nearby Aperture Cellars. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024

Each one is an ode to Japanese interior elements, furnished with tatami mats, shoji (panels lined with rice paper) and cypress soaking tubs. —John Wogan, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024

The pickled jalapeños give it a good kick and are an ode to Golliher's grandmother who would always add them to her pimento cheese pie recipe. —Michelle Gross, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024

Ambitious Anaheim tiki bar Strong Water, with its dozens of flaming, large-format classic, original and even nonalcoholic odes to the tropical drink, is a finalist in the national category of outstanding wine and other beverages program. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

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

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"