Song

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Song, n. [AS. song, sang, fr. singan to sing; akin to D. zang, G. sang, Icel. söngr, Goth. saggws. See Sing.].

•  That which is sung or uttered with musical modulations of the voice, whether of a human being or of a bird, insect, etc.  Hawthorne.  [1913 Webster]
•  A lyrical poem adapted to vocal music; a ballad.  [1913 Webster]
•  More generally, any poetical strain; a poem.  [1913 Webster]

  "The bard that first adorned our native tongue
  Tuned to his British lyre this ancient song."  [1913 Webster]
•  Poetical composition; poetry; verse.  [1913 Webster]

  "This subject for heroic song."  [1913 Webster]
•  An object of derision; a laughingstock.  [1913 Webster]

  "And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword."  [1913 Webster]
•  A trifle; an insignificant sum of money; as, he bought it for a song.  Silliman.  [1913 Webster]

Old song, a trifle; nothing of value. “I do not intend to be thus put off with an old song.” Dr. H. More. -- Song bird (Zoöl.), any singing bird; one of the Oscines. -- Song sparrow (Zoöl.), a very common North American sparrow (Melospiza fasciata, or Melospiza melodia) noted for the sweetness of its song in early spring. Its breast is covered with dusky brown streaks which form a blotch in the center. -- Song thrush (Zoöl.), a common European thrush (Turdus musicus), noted for its melodius song; -- called also mavis, throstle, and thrasher.

Syn. -- Sonnet; ballad; canticle; carol; canzonet; ditty; hymn; descant; lay; strain; poesy; verse.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Song, n.
1 a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung.
2 singing or vocal music (burst into song).
3 a musical composition suggestive of a song.
4 the musical cry of some birds.
5 a short poem in rhymed stanzas.
6 archaic poetry or verse.

Idiom

for a song colloq. very cheaply. on song Brit. colloq. performing exceptionally well. song and dance colloq. a fuss or commotion. song cycle a set of musically linked songs on a romantic theme. Song of Songs (or of Solomon) a poetic Old Testament book traditionally attributed to Solomon. song sparrow a N. American sparrow, Melospiza melodia, with a characteristic musical song. song thrush a thrush, Turdus philomelos, of Europe and W. Asia, with a song partly mimicked from other birds.

Derivative

songless adj.

Etymology

OE sang f. Gmc (as SING)

THESAURUS

Song

Brautlied, Christmas carol, English sonnet, Horatian ode, Italian sonnet, Kunstlied, Liebeslied, Petrarchan sonnet, Pindaric ode, Sapphic ode, Shakespearean sonnet, Volkslied, ado, air, alba, anacreontic, anthem, aria, art song, aubade, balada, ballad, ballade, ballata, barcarole, bel canto, blues, blues song, boat song, bother, bravura, bridal hymn, brindisi, bucolic, calypso, canso, canticle, canto, cantus, canzone, canzonet, canzonetta, carol, cavatina, chanson, chant, chantey, cheaply, choral singing, clerihew, coloratura, commotion, croon, croon song, crooning, cry, descant, dirge, dithyramb, ditty, drinking song, eclogue, elegy, epic, epigram, epithalamium, epode, epopee, epopoeia, epos, evasion, flap, folk singing, folk song, for a song, fuss, georgic, ghazel, haiku, hum, humming, hymeneal, hymn, idyll, inexpensively, intonation, jingle, lay, lied, lilt, limerick, line, love song, love-lilt, lyric, lyricism, madrigal, matin, measure, melodia, melodic line, melody, minstrel song, minstrelsy, monody, musical thought, narrative poem, national anthem, note, number, nursery rhyme, ode, operatic singing, palinode, pastoral, pastoral elegy, pastorela, pastourelle, performance, piece, poem, poesy, poetry, prevarication, prothalamium, refrain, rhyme, rondeau, rondel, roundel, roundelay, satire, scat, scat singing, serena, serenade, serenata, sestina, singing, sloka, sol-fa, sol-fa exercise, solfeggio, solmization, solo, solo part, sonnet, sonnet sequence, soprano part, strain, tale, tanka, tenso, tenzone, the supreme fiction, theme song, threnody, to-do, tonic sol-fa, torch song, treble, triolet, troubadour poem, tune, verse, verselet, versicle, villanelle, virelay, vocal music, vocalization, war song, warbling, wedding song, yodel, yodeling

ROGET THESAURUS

Song

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.