#initial-load-header-loader { visibility: hidden!important; } #initial-load-content { visibility: visible!important; } .expandable .expandable-control { display: none!important; } .expandable .expandable-content { display: block!important; visibility: visible!important; max-height: none!important; height: auto!important; }

Moonlight Sonata

A sonata for piano by Ludwig van Beethoven. An early commentator remarked that the tranquil first movement reminded him of moonlight on the waves.

RELATED CONTENT

Moonstruck: 9 Terms of the Lunar Lexicon

Whether speculating on the havoc it wreaks when it’s full or waxing poetic on the beauty of its glow, people love talking about the moon. This age-old fascination with our celestial satellite has resulted in a lexicon loaded with lunar-themed words, phrases, and meanings. What does moon mean? Consider the array of senses we have for the word moon itself: in addition to referencing our …

Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.