song

¹ American  

[sawng, song] / sɔŋ, sɒŋ /

noun

1. a short metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad.

2. a musical piece adapted for singing or simulating a piece to be sung: sung.

   Mendelssohn's “Songs without Words.”

3. poetical composition; poetry.

4. the art or act of singing; vocal music.

5. something that is sung. sung.

6. an elaborate vocal signal produced by an animal, as the distinctive sounds produced by certain birds, frogs, etc., in a courtship or territorial display.

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idioms

1. for a song, at a very low price; as a bargain.

   We bought the rug for a song when the estate was auctioned off.

Song ² American  

[sawng] / sɔŋ /

noun

Pinyin.

1. a dynasty in China, a.d. 960–1279, characterized by a high level of achievement in painting, ceramics, and philosophy: overthrown by the Mongols. Also Sung

2. Ailing Ai-ling Soong.

3. Qingling Ching-ling Soong.

4. Meiling Mei-ling Soong.

5. Ziwen Tse-ven Soong.

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song ¹ British  

/ sɒŋ /

noun

1. 1. a piece of music, usually employing a verbal text, composed for the voice, esp one intended for performance by a soloist

   2. the whole repertory of such pieces

   3. ( as modifier )

      a song book

2. poetical composition; poetry

3. the characteristic tuneful call or sound made by certain birds or insects

4. the act or process of singing

   they raised their voices in song

5. at a bargain price

6. informal performing at peak efficiency or ability

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Song ² British  

/ sʊŋ /

noun

1. the Pinyin transliteration of the Chinese name for Sung

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song More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing song

• for a song
• swan song

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Other Word Forms

• songlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of song

First recorded before 900; Middle English song, sang, Old English; cognate with German Sang, Old Norse sǫngr, Gothic saggws

Example Sentences

“I feel so bad. My band started playing the wrong song and I didn’t know what to do, so I thought I’d do a hoedown. I’m sorry!” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

That tiny detail slips into the lyrics, bringing the song to life.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

“This time, I wasn’t 17 years old, going through my first heartbreak, crying at the piano and a song just flies out. I had to sharpen my songwriting skills and my singing skills,” Rodrigo said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

On Beams, the album's most vulnerable song, she uses the looping structures of dance music to represent the turmoil of wanting to end a relationship.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The drumbeats from the parking lot came to a stop, allowing a moment of quiet to settle over the drive-in—a peaceful pocket of rest where one song ended, and another began.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith