ballad









ballad


noun

  1. any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.
  2. a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.
  3. any poem written in similar style.
  4. the music for a ballad.
  5. a sentimental or romantic popular song.

noun

  1. a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
  2. a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune
  3. a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song
n.

late 15c., from French ballade “dancing song” (13c.), from Old Provençal ballada “(poem for a) dance,” from balar “to dance,” from Late Latin ballare “to dance” (see ball (n.2)).

A simple narrative song, or a narrative poem suitable for singing. The ballad usually has a short stanza, such as:

There are twelve months in all the year,
As I hear many men say,
But the merriest month in all the year
Is the merry month of May.

A simple narrative song, or, alternatively, a narrative poem suitable for singing. (See under “Conventions of Written English.”)

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