Hypertext Webster Gateway: "dirge"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Dirge \Dirge\, n. [Contraction of Lat. dirige, direct thou
(imperative of dirigere), the first word of a funeral hymn
(Lat. transl. of Psalm v. 8) beginning, ``Dirige, Domine, in
conspectu tuo vitam meam.'' See {Direct}, a., and cf.
{Dirige}.]
A piece of music of a mournful character, to accompany
funeral rites; a funeral hymn.
The raven croaked, and hollow shrieks of owls Sung
dirges at her funeral. --Ford.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
dirge
n : a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a
memorial to a dead person [syn: {coronach}, {lament}, {requiem},
{threnody}]
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