ode

1 of 2

noun

ˈōd 

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

ˈō-dist 

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

Noun

The summer menu is an ode to the season and includes a variety of crudos (tuna takaki, sea bass carpaccio with lemon, giant red shrimp) as well as crab salad, beef tartare, and lobster linguine. —Jade Simon, Vogue, 21 June 2024

The hotel’s all-day restaurant, Emilia’s, is an ode to Fort Worth’s sister city, Emilia-Romagna, with pastas and other Mediterranean fare. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2024

The star is an ode to Texas, but also all African-Americans living in the 50 states. —Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 19 June 2024

Vanessa Friedman, the New York Times' chief fashion critic wrote recently, pointing out Knowles' western ode doesn’t exactly lean into prairie skirts. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024

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

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun

ˈōd 

: 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"