coda

noun

co·​da ˈkō-də How to pronounce coda (audio)
1
a
: a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure
b
: a concluding part of a literary or dramatic work
2
: something that serves to round out, conclude, or summarize and usually has its own interest

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New Meaning of CODA

CODA is an abbreviation of child (or children) of deaf adults. It refers to a person who is typically hearing and has one or more parents or guardians who are wholly or partly deaf. Learn more >

Examples of coda in a Sentence

The movie's coda shows the main character as an adult 25 years later.
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.
Sadly, that’s a moral gauntlet that writers of the sequel (promised by a major celebrity in this film’s coda) will have to pick up. Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 The pleasure mostly derives from picking out the remaining ambiguities, especially related to the film’s flash-forward coda; the finale has already inspired a lot of heated social-media debate over its intention. David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025 Armand of the title is Elisabeth’s six-year-old son, never shown onscreen outside of a key final coda. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2025 One of the first drafts of this story had the voice of the coda in the beginning, too, framing the story as a kind of monologue. Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for coda

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, tail, from Latin cauda

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of coda was in 1740

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Cite this Entry

“Coda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coda. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

coda

noun
co·​da ˈkōd-ə How to pronounce coda (audio)
: a closing section in a musical composition
Etymology

Italian, literally, "tail," from Latin coda, cauda "tail" — related to coward, cue entry 3, queue see Word History at coward, queue

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