ode

1 of 2

noun

plural odes
1
: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms
Keats's ode "To a Nightingale"
2
: something that shows respect for or celebrates the worth or influence of another : homage
The museum would be an ode to visual storytelling, drawn from the director's collection of film ephemera and fine art.Chanan Tigay
The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America.Gourmet
odist noun

-ode

2 of 2

noun combining form

1
: way : path
electrode
2
: electrode
diode

Examples of ode in a Sentence

Noun This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The aircraft was an ode to Chuck Yeager, a longtime Grass Valley resident and World War II fighter pilot known for being the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in 1947. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 2 Jan. 2025 This song is an emotional ode to the healing powers of liquor to mask the pain of relationship drama — in other words, a timeless feel. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2024 His latest album, Deira, is an ode to his heritage and the Gaza hotel his father built, which was destroyed in the war. Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024 That latter category includes my No. 1 title, an ode to the glories of cinema that ends, in an utterly magical sequence, with all its major characters entering a movie theatre. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ode 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

Noun combining form

Greek -odos, from hodos

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ode was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near ode

Cite this Entry

“Ode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ode. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun
: a lyric poem that expresses a noble feeling with dignity

-ode

2 of 2 noun combining form
ˌōd
1
: way : path
electrode
2
: electrode
diode
Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek hodos "way, path"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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