Adjacent Words

Melody definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MEL'ODY, n. [Gr. a limb, or a song, an ode; L. melos.]
An agreeable succession of sounds; a succession of sounds so regulated and modulated as to please the ear. To constitute melody, the sounds must be arranged according to the laws of rhythms, measure, or the due proportion of the movements to each other. Melody differs from harmony, as it consists in the agreeable succession and modulation of sounds by a single voice; whereas harmony consists in the accordance of different voices or sounds. Melody is vocal or instrumental.
To make melody in the heart, to praise God with a joyful and thankful disposition, ascribing to him the honor due to his name. Ephesians 5.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven" [syn: tune, melody, air, strain, melodic line, line, melodic phrase]
2: the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes [syn: melody, tonal pattern]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -dies) Etymology: Middle English melodie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin melodia, from Greek mel?idia chanting, music, from melos limb, musical phrase, song (probably akin to Breton mell joint) + aeidein to sing — more at ode Date: 13th century 1. a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds ; tunefulness 2. a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole • melodic adjective • melodically adverb

Britannica Concise

Rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole. The melody is often the highest line in a musical composition. Melodies may suggest their own harmony or counterpoint. As fundamental as rhythm and meter (and more so than harmony), melody is common to all musical cultures.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 an arrangement of single notes in a musically expressive succession. 2 the principal part in harmonized music. 3 a musical arrangement of words. 4 sweet music, tunefulness. Etymology: ME f. OF melodie f. LL melodia f. Gk meloidia f. melos song

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Melody Mel"o*dy, n.; pl. Melodies. [OE. melodie, F. m['e]lodie, L. melodia, fr. Gr. ? a singing, choral song, fr. ? musical, melodious; ? song, tune + ? song. See Ode.] 1. A sweet or agreeable succession of sounds. Lulled with sound of sweetest melody. --Shak. 2. (Mus.) A rhythmical succession of single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear and characteristic in expression. Note: Melody consists in a succession of single tones; harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones, also a succession of consonant musical combinations or chords. 3. The air or tune of a musical piece. Syn: See Harmony.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(melodies) A melody is a tune. (FORMAL) N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mel'-o-di: zimrah, a musical piece or song to be accompanied by an instrument (Isa 51:3); an instrument of praise (Am 5:23); naghan, "to play on a stringed instrument," "Make sweet melody, sing many songs" (Isa 23:16); psallo to celebrate the praises of God with music (Eph 5:19).

See MUSIC.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Pleasing succession of sounds (as distinguished from harmony or the concord of sounds), sweetness of sound, music. 2. Song, descant, tune. 3. Air, tune, theme.

Moby Thesaurus

air, aria, bel canto, canto, cantus, descant, diapason, dulcetness, euphoniousness, euphony, harmony, lay, line, lyrics, measure, mellifluence, mellifluousness, melodia, melodic line, melodiousness, musical quality, musical sound, musicality, note, refrain, solo, solo part, song, soprano part, strain, sweetness, theme, tonality, tone, treble, tune, tunefulness, warble