ditty

[ dit-ee ]

/ ˈdɪt i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ditty ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural dit·ties.

a poem intended to be sung.

a short, simple song.

verb (used without object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

Obsolete. to sing.

verb (used with object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

Obsolete. to set to or celebrate in music.

Words nearby ditty

ditto machine, ditto mark, dittograph, dittography, dittrich's plug, ditty, ditty bag, ditty box, ditz, ditzy, diu

Origin of ditty

1250–1300; Middle English dite < Anglo-French, Old French dit(i)e poem, noun use of past participle of ditier to compose < Latin dictāre; see dictate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ditty

A high school vibe overtook the hall: it was a pep rally, complete with its own music video—“Kahana was right,” laments the ditty.
'Kahane For Kids'|Elisheva Goldberg|November 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“Miss Atomic Bomb,” a five-minute ditty that swells into a soaring rock anthem, is an early standout.
The Killers Talk New Album ‘Battle Born,’ Mitt Romney, Mormonism & More|Marlow Stern|September 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I was surprised into crooning this ditty as I pushed her over the floor.
Great Expectations|Charles Dickens
After tea I am made sing some fal lal la of a ditty, and am sent to bed with a 'Good night, pretty miss,' or 'sweet dear.'
The Heroine|Eaton Stannard Barrett

His full manly voice trolled forth many a ditty, sounding above the whistling of the storm and the roar of the waves.
The Voyages of the Ranger and Crusader|W.H.G. Kingston
It was a ditty that Johannes thought he had often heard the nurse-maids sing.
The Quest|Frederik van Eeden
Proud Signil began, a ditty she sang,To the ears of the Queen in her bed it rang.
A Bibliography of the writings in Prose and Verse of George Henry Borrow|Thomas J. Wise

British Dictionary definitions for ditty

ditty

/ (ˈdɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a short simple song or poem

Word Origin for ditty

C13: from Old French ditie poem, from ditier to compose, from Latin dictāre dictate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ditty

noun, plural dit·ties.

verb (used without object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

verb (used with object), dit·tied, dit·ty·ing.

Words related to ditty

Words nearby ditty

Origin of ditty

Examples from the Web for ditty

British Dictionary definitions for ditty

noun plural -ties

Word Origin for ditty