dithyramb
/ˈdɪθ.ɪ.ɹæm/ noun
Forms dithyrambs
- noun A raucous and ardent choral hymn sung in ancient Athens in honor of the god Dionysus.
- noun A poem or oration in the same style.
- noun An impassioned speech; a rant.
Synonyms
admonition condemnation diatribe harangue impugnation j'accuse jeremiad philippic polemic rant screed slanging match tirade
Etymology
From Latin dithyrambus, from Ancient Greek δῑθύραμβος (dīthúrambos). According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it is of non-Indo-European origin (Pre-Greek substrate, Illyrian/Phrygian), related to θρίαμβος (thríambos) and ἴαμβος (íambos). Brandenstein also compares Sanskrit अङ्ग (aṅga, “member”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus, usually sung by a band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain. Bentley.
Etymology [L. dithyrambus, Gr. dithyrambe.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “dithyramb”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details