dirge
/dɝd͡ʒ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.38 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A mournful poem or piece of music composed or performed as a memorial to a deceased person.
Example Sentences
- "Therefore our ſometimes Siſter, now our Queen, / Th’ imperiall Ioyntreſſe of this warlike State, / Haue we, as ’twere, with a defeated ioy, / With one Auſpicious, and one Dropping eye, / With mirth in Funerall, and with Dirge in Marriage, / In equall Scale weighing Delight and Dole / Taken to Wife […]"
- "While I watched the tempest, so beautiful yet terrific, I wandered on with a hasty step. This noble war in the sky elevated my spirits; I clasped my hands, and exclaimed aloud, “William, dear angel! this is thy funeral, this thy dirge!”"
- "It was as if the night sang dirges with clenched teeth."
- "Over six sections – a prologue, a life-story, a dream-quest, a dirge, a masque and an epilogue – they meditate on their lives, their hopes, their losses, and on the human condition."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɝd͡ʒ/
- British English: /dɜːdʒ/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Music.