fugue

 
Pronunciation: /fjuːg/

noun

  • 1 Music a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.
  • 2 Psychiatry a loss of awareness of one’s identity, often coupled with flight from one’s usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy.

Origin:

late 16th century: from French, or from Italian fuga, from Latin fuga 'flight', related to fugere 'flee'