Word of the Day

: April 18, 2010

paean

noun PEE-un

What It Means

1 : a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph

2 : a work that praises or honors its subject : encomium, tribute

paean in Context

"I'm supposed to write a paean to Spring for my creative writing course, but all this rain just makes me depressed and uninspired," sighed Jessica.

Did You Know?

According to the poet Homer, the Greek god Apollo sometimes took the guise of Paean, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo. They were sung at events ranging from boisterous festivals to public funerals, and were the traditional marching songs of armies heading into battle. Over time, the word became generalized, and it is now used for any kind of tribute.