hymnody

[ him-nuh-dee ]

/ ˈhɪm nə di /

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noun

the singing or the composition of hymns or sacred songs.

hymns collectively, especially the collective hymns of a specific religion, place, or period.

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Origin of hymnody

1705–15; <Medieval Latin hymnōdia<Greek hymnōidía chanting of a hymn, equivalent to hýmn(os) hymn + ōidía singing (aoid- sing (see ode) + -ia-ia)

OTHER WORDS FROM hymnody

hym·nod·i·cal

[him-nod-i-kuhl], /hɪmˈnɒd ɪ kəl/, adjectivehym·no·dist, noun

Words nearby hymnody

hymn, hymnal, hymnary, hymn book, hymnist, hymnody, hymnology, hyoepiglottic, hyoglossal membrane, hyoglossus, hyoid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hymnody in a sentence

It is doubtful if there is a nobler hymn of its kind in all the realm of hymnody.
The Story of Our Hymns|Ernest Edwin Ryden
With these writers the age of Latin hymnody is brought to a close.
The Story of Our Hymns|Ernest Edwin Ryden
Our best accounts of early Christian hymnody are often subordinated to a general history of Christian hymns.
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries|Ruth Ellis Messenger
Traces of poetic improvisation, which is so closely allied to hymnody, must be seriously considered at this point.
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries|Ruth Ellis Messenger

It was only natural that the hymnody of the Old Testament should have exerted a marked influence upon Christian practice.
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries|Ruth Ellis Messenger

British Dictionary definitions for hymnody

hymnody

/ (ˈhɪmnədɪ) /

noun

the composition or singing of hymns

hymns collectively

Also called: hymnology

Derived forms of hymnody

hymnodical (hɪmˈnɒdɪkəl), adjective

Word Origin for hymnody

C18: from Medieval Latin hymnōdia, from Greek humnōidia, from humnōidein to chant a hymn, from hymn + aeidein to sing

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