SERENADE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does serenade mean? 

• SERENADE (noun)
  The noun SERENADE has 2 senses:

1. a musical composition in several movements; has no fixed form

2. a song characteristically played outside the house of a woman

  Familiarity information: SERENADE used as a noun is rare.

• SERENADE (verb)
  The verb SERENADE has 1 sense:

1. sing and play for somebody

  Familiarity information: SERENADE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SERENADE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A musical composition in several movements; has no fixed form

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

divertimento; serenade

Hypernyms ("serenade" is a kind of...):

composition; musical composition; opus; piece; piece of music (a musical work that has been created)

Derivation:

serenade (sing and play for somebody)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A song characteristically played outside the house of a woman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("serenade" is a kind of...):

song; vocal (a short musical composition with words)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "serenade"):

belling; callathump; callithump; charivari; chivaree; shivaree (a noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple)

Derivation:

serenade (sing and play for somebody)

• SERENADE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they serenade    ... he / she / it serenades   
Past simple: serenaded   
Past participle: serenaded   
-ing form: serenading   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sing and play for somebody

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

She was serenaded by her admirers

Hypernyms (to "serenade" is one way to...):

do; execute; perform (carry out or perform an action)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot serenade Sue

Derivation:

serenade (a musical composition in several movements; has no fixed form)

serenade (a song characteristically played outside the house of a woman)

 Context examples 

I never thought of anything but a traveling friendship till the serenade night.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Even the heavy John was not unmoved by the beauty of their road, while the bowman whistled lustily or sang snatches of French love songs in a voice which might have scared the most stout-hearted maiden that ever hearkened to serenade.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Kneeling at the foot of the tower, he sang a serenade in melting tones.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

At Coblentz we had a lovely time, for some students from Bonn, with whom Fred got acquainted on the boat, gave us a serenade.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Ned, getting sentimental, warbled a serenade with the pensive refrain...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)