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Word of the Day – Dirge

By November 23, 2019Word of the Day

Dirge (noun)

dur-j

A lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.

A mournful song, piece of music, or sound.

Middle English (denoting the Office for the Dead): from Latin dirige! (imperative) ‘direct!’, the first word of an antiphon (Ps. 5:8) formerly used in the Latin Office for the Dead.

Example sentences

“Danny Boy is probably the best known funeral dirge.”

“The wind howled it’s sorrowful dirge through the chimney.”

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