melic
[ mel-ik ]
adjective
intended to be sung.
noting or pertaining to the more elaborate form of Greek lyric poetry, as distinguished from iambic and elegiac poetry.
Origin of melic
1First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin melicus, from Greek melikós, equivalent to mél(os) “limb; feature, form; musical member or phrase, song” + -ikos -ic
Words Nearby melic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use melic in a sentence
Although the metre and dialect are Dorian, the poems breathe the spirit of Aeolian melic poetry.
British Dictionary definitions for melic
melic
/ (ˈmɛlɪk) /
adjective
(of poetry, esp ancient Greek lyric poems) intended to be sung
Origin of melic
1C17: via Latin from Greek melikos, from melos song
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
Browse