melody

noun, plural mel·o·dies.

1. musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.
2. Music.
   1. the succession of single tones in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
   2. the principal part in a harmonic composition; the air.
   3. a rhythmical succession of single tones producing a distinct musical phrase or idea.
3. a poem suitable for singing.
4. intonation, as of a segment of connected speech.

noun

1. a female given name.

noun plural -dies

1. music
   1. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; tune
   2. the horizontally represented aspect of the structure of a piece of musicCompare harmony (def. 4b)
2. sounds that are pleasant because of tone or arrangement, esp words of poetry

n.late 13c., from Old French melodie “music, song, tune” (12c.), from Late Latin melodia, from Greek meloidia “a singing, a chanting, choral song, a tune for lyric poetry,” from melos “song, part of song” (see melisma) + oide “song, ode” (see ode).