raga
Americannoun
noun
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any of several conventional patterns of melody and rhythm that form the basis for freely interpreted compositions. Each pattern is associated with different aspects of religious devotion
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a composition based on one of these patterns
Etymology
Origin of raga
First recorded in 1780–90, raga is from the Sanskrit word rāga color, tone
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In one fine scene, Charu attends a raga performance in a concert hall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
He sings it, and adds just a little raga inflection to the searching, haunting melody, with its harmony constantly shifting between major and minor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2023
The music was familiar: the distinctive fingerpicking style of the guitarist John Fahey — folk and blues flecked with traditional Indian raga — whose artwork rather than music I came to see.
From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
The melodies are serenely expressive, the raga compositions melding with rhapsodic sitar and a cavernous reverb.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2023
They may have different interval patterns between the "scale" notes, have different expectations for how each note of the raga is to be used, and may even use slightly different tunings.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
