First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
dirge
noun \ˈdərj\
: a slow song that expresses sadness or sorrow
Full Definition of DIRGE
1
: a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially : one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites
2
: a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music
3
: something (as a poem) that has the qualities of a dirge
— dirge·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
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Origin of DIRGE
Middle English dirige, the Office of the Dead, from the first word of a Late Latin antiphon, from Latin, imperative of dirigere to direct — more at dress
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