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View synonyms for

-ode

1
  1. a suffix of nouns, appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “like”; used in the formation of compound words:

    phyllode.



-ode

2
  1. a combining form meaning “way,” “road,” used in the formation of compound words:

    anode; electrode.

ode

3

[ ohd ]

noun

  1. a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion.
  2. (originally) a poem intended to be sung.

ode

1

/ əʊ /

noun

  1. a lyric poem, typically addressed to a particular subject, with lines of varying lengths and complex rhythms See also Horatian ode Pindaric ode
  2. (formerly) a poem meant to be sung
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-ode

2

combining form

  1. denoting resemblance

    nematode

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-ode

3

combining form

  1. denoting a path or way

    electrode

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ode

  1. A kind of poem devoted to the praise of a person, animal, or thing. An ode is usually written in an elevated style and often expresses deep feeling. An example is “ Ode on a Grecian Urn ,” by John Keats .
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Word History and Origins

Origin of -ode1

< Greek -ōŧ, probably generalized from adjectives describing smells, as ŧṓdŧ smelling like incense; base ō- of ó𾱲 to smell, give off odor

Origin of -ode2

< Greek -odos, combining form of ǻó

Origin of -ode3

1580–90; < Middle French < Late Latin ō岹 < Greek ōḗ, contraction of Ǿḗ song, derivative of í𾱲 to sing
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Word History and Origins

Origin of -ode1

C16: via French from Late Latin ō岹, from Greek ōŧ, from aeidein to sing

Origin of -ode2

from Greek -ōŧ, from eidos shape, form

Origin of -ode3

from Greek -odos, from hodos a way

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Words That Use -ode

doesmean?

The combining formode is used like a suffix that has two distinct senses.

The first of these senses is “like,” and this form of –ode is very occasionally used in a variety of scientific terms, especially in biology. This sense of –ode comes from Greek –ōŧ, roughly meaning “smell.” This suffix in Greek likely comes from words that describe smells and is related to the verb ó𾱲, which means “to smell.”

The second of these senses is “way” or “road,” and this form of –ode is occasionally used in a variety of technical terms, especially in electrical terms. This sense of –ode comes from Greek ǻó, meaning “way.”

Examples of -ode with the sense “like”

One example of a scientific term that uses the suffix –ode to mean “like” is nematode, “any unsegmented worm of the phylum Nematoda, having an elongated, cylindrical body,” also known as “a roundworm.”

The nemat part of the word means “thread,” from Greek ŧ-, meaning “thread” or “yarn.” The –ode part of the word means “like,” as we have seen. Nematode literally translates to “threadlike.”

are some words that use the combining form –ode?

are some other forms that –ode may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The combining form phyll means “leaf.” With this in mind, what does phyllode literally mean?

Examples of -ode with the sense “way” or "road"

A technical term that uses the form –ode is electrode, “a conductor, not necessarily metallic, through which a current enters or leaves a nonmetallic medium.”

The electr part of the word means “electric,” as you may have guessed. The –ode portion of the word means “rway, road.” Electrode literally means “electric way (path).”

are some words that use the combining form –ode?

are some other forms that –ode may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The combining form hept means “seven.” With this in mind, what does the term heptode literally mean?

About This Word

else does ode mean?

In literature, an ode is a type of lyrical poem enthusiastically praising a person or event.The slang ode, pronounced [ oh-dee ], is an intensifying adverb meaning “really” or “very.”

How is ode pronounced?

[ ohd ] or [ oh-dee ]

are other forms of ode?

odee

are some other words related to ode?

Where does ode come from?

The ancient Greeks can be thanked for the original ode, poems that exalted individuals, actions, or nature. Famous ode writers over the centuries include the Greek Pindar, the Roman Horace, and, in the English language, John Keats. The word ode, from a Greek word meaning “song” or “chant,” is recorded in English in the 1500s.

The word ode is often found in the construction ode to X, with X being the object of the poem or other artistic work’s praise.

The slang ode (or odee) emerged as a substitute for “really” or “very” by 2009. It appears to be a phonetic spelling of the acronym for overdose, OD, whose original sense was extended to the idea of doing something to an extreme extent, hence “really” or “very.”

How is ode used in real life?

Outside of more formal literature, art, and music, ode is used as a term for “heightened praise” more generally (e.g., an ode to cute animal pictures). Very often, the grand scale of ode is used this way in a humorous manner, praising more mundane objects, such as bathrobes or coffee, for the joy they give people in their everyday lives.

Ode for “very” is found in slang. It carries a sense of exaggeration, much like the slang mad or hella. Extremely tired? Ode tired. Extremely late? Ode late. Really into someone? Ode attracted.

More examples of ode:

“An ode to Adventure Time, one of TV’s most ambitious—and yes, most adventurous, shows”

—Dan Schindel, Vox (headline), September 2018

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