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Dictionary Language resources

dirge

Syllabification: (dirge)

Pronunciation: /dərj/

Definition of dirge

noun

a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.
a mournful song, piece of music, or poem:singers chanted dirges figurativethe wind howled dirges around the chimney

Derivatives

dirgeful

Origin:

Middle English (denoting the Office for the Dead): from Latin dirige! (imperative) 'direct!', the first word of an antiphon (Psalm 5:8) used in the Latin Office for the Dead