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

Lai Rai, a sleek new bar on Forsyth, is an ode to two of life’s greatest pleasures—natural wine and frozen confections. —The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025

This is, in large part thanks to iconic and spirit-lifting pieces like the 30 minute Revelations, created in 1960 to inspire our community to keep their faith in times of triumph, and Cry, a piece Mr. Ailey created as an ode to Black motherhood. —Akili King, Essence, 16 Jan. 2025

While jewelry today isn’t hardly as intricate, this exhibition is an ode to craftsmanship and creativity. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

As such, his third studio album, Horror — out Feb. 14 and co-produced by Jack Antonoff — is both an ode to scary movies and a look at his own life and background through that lens. —Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 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

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"