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 retrospective’s subtitle, The Messenger, nods to both one of his works—a canvas ode to Art Blakey—and his mission. —Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2025

One of the most popular pizzas is an ode to the banh mi Aaron ate after church as a kid. —Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 20 Feb. 2025

The exhibit’s name and its graphic treatment are themselves an elegiac ode to Heaven, the avant-garde novelty boutique at the Century City Mall that held serious sway in the ’80s with the likes of Brooke Shields, Paul Reubens and Freddie Mercury. —Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025

The winner then gets to physically take her name and place it in the next round on the tournament big board in the arena, an ode to the similar process in March Madness. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for ode

• blowed
• bode
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed

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"