rhapsody
[ rap-suh-dee ]
/ ˈræp sə di /
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noun, plural rhap·so·dies.
Music. an instrumental composition irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation.
an ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm.
an epic poem, or a part of such a poem, as a book of the Iliad, suitable for recitation at one time.
a similar piece of modern literature.
an unusually intense or irregular poem or piece of prose.
Archaic. a miscellaneous collection; jumble.
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Origin of rhapsody
1535–45; <Latin rhapsōdia<Greek rhapsōidía recital of epic poetry, equivalent to rhapsōid(ós) rhapsodist + -ia-y3
Words nearby rhapsody
rhamphotheca, rhanja, rhapsodic, rhapsodist, rhapsodize, rhapsody, Rhapsody in Blue, rhatany, rhathymia, Rhazes, r.h.b.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for rhapsody
British Dictionary definitions for rhapsody
rhapsody
/ (ˈræpsədɪ) /
noun plural -dies
music a composition free in structure and highly emotional in character
an expression of ecstatic enthusiasm
(in ancient Greece) an epic poem or part of an epic recited by a rhapsodist
a literary work composed in an intense or exalted style
rapturous delight or ecstasy
obsolete a medley
Word Origin for rhapsody
C16: via Latin from Greek rhapsōidia, from rhaptein to sew together + ōidē song
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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