melody

[ mel-uh-dee ]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /

noun, plural mel·o·dies.

musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
Music.
  1. the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
  2. the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.
  3. a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.
a poem suitable for singing.
intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.

Origin of melody

1250–1300; Middle English melodie < Medieval Latin melōdia < Greek melōidía (choral) singing, equivalent to mel- (see melic) + -ōid- (see ode) + -ia -y3

SYNONYMS FOR melody

1 See harmony.
2 tune, song, descant, theme.

OTHER WORDS FROM melody

mel·o·dy·less, adjective un·der·mel·o·dy, noun, plural un·der·mel·o·dies.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH melody

malady melody

Definition for melody (2 of 2)

Melody
[ mel-uh-dee ]
/ ˈmɛl ə di /

noun

a female given name.

Example sentences from the Web for melody

British Dictionary definitions for melody

melody
/ (ˈmɛlədɪ) /

noun plural -dies

music
  1. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
  2. the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of musicCompare harmony (def. 4b)
sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry

Word Origin for melody

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin melōdia, from Greek melōidia singing, from melos song + -ōidia, from aoidein to sing