coda

noun

co·​da ˈkō-də 

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

Far more interesting than the race-against-time climax is the quieter coda that follows. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025

Duterte’s arrest and removal from the country is a stunning coda to a stormy and violent stint at the top of Philippine politics. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025

Seconds later, tennis pro — and Drake’s ex — Serena Williams popped up in the sidelines, crip-walking her little heart out by a lamppost in a nasty coda to hip-hop's bitterest feud. —Jason Lamphier, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025

Democrats were beside themselves, seeing this as a fitting coda after one of the most unproductive congressional sessions in modern times. —Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, tail, from Latin cauda

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for coda

• oda
• soda
• toda
• copepoda
• decapoda
• gastropoda
• isopoda
• nematoda
• ostracoda
• pagoda

Kids Definition

coda

noun

co·​da ˈkōd-ə 

: 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