n. 1. A lyric poem characterized by distichs formed by a long line followed by a shorter one. 2. The third division of the triad of a Pindaric ode, having a different or contrasting form from that of the strophe and antistrophe. 3. The part of a choral ode in classical Greek drama following the strophe and antistrophe and sung while the chorus is standing still. [Latin epōdos, a type of lyric poem, from Greek epōidos, sung after, from epaeidein, epāidein, to sing after : epi-, epi- + aeidein, to sing; see wed-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.