elegy
nounCA, US, UK /ˈɛlɪd͡ʒi/
Etymology From Middle French elegie, from Latin elegīa, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐλεγείᾱ (elegeíā), ellipsis of ἐλεγείᾱ ᾠδή (elegeíā ōidḗ, “an elegiac song”).
1
A mournful or plaintive poem; a funeral song; a poem of lamentation.
- funeral elegy
- pastoral elegy
2 more examples
- solemn elegy
- He composed an elegy for his late friend.
2
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A composition of mournful character.
3
A classical poem written in elegiac meter
- Synonyms
- monody. See dirge
- Derived terms
- elegiac, elegiast, elegiographer, elegist, elegize