rhapsody
rhapsody Lexical Profile
rhapsody Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An effusive or ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm in speech or writing.
"The critic went into a rhapsody over the young pianist's debut performance."
A free-flowing, episodic instrumental musical composition irregular in form and often improvised in character.
"The symphony orchestra concluded the evening with a spirited performance of George Gershwin's famous rhapsody."
An epic poem, or a section of one, of a length suitable for a single recitation in ancient Greece.
"Each book of Homer's Iliad was traditionally performed by an ancient bard as a standalone rhapsody."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Middle French and Latin from Ancient Greek 'rhapsōidia' (the reciting of epic poetry), formed from 'rhaptein' (to stitch or sew together) and 'ōidē' (song or ode), referring to how wandering bards wove together verses to perform epic poems.