Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A lyric ode in honor of a bride and bridegroom.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A nuptial song or poem; a poem in honor of a newly married person or pair, in praise of and invoking blessings upon its subject or subjects.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A nuptial song, or poem in honor of the bride and bridegroom.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A song or poem celebrating a marriage.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an ode honoring a bride and bridegroom

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin, from Greek epithalamion, from neuter of epithalamios, of a wedding : epi-, epi- + thalamos, bridal chamber.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἐπιθαλάμιον, noun use of the neuter form of επιθαλαμιος ‘nuptial’, from επι− + θαλαμος ‘bridal chamber’.

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Examples

  • Ennodius, deacon of Milan under Theodoric and later Bishop of Pavia, inveighed against the impious person who carried a statue of Minerva to a disorderly house, and himself under pretext of an "epithalamium" wrote light and trivial verses.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 9: Laprade-Mass Liturgy 1840-1916 1913

  • [1] This ode is introduced in the Romance of Theodorus Prodromus, and is that kind of epithalamium which was sung like a scolium at the nuptial banquet.

    The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore Collected by Himself with Explanatory Notes Thomas Moore 1815

  • England's current poet laureate, Andrew Motion, has contrived some well-made poems for royal occasions, most notably "Spring Wedding," a delicately turned epithalamium for Price Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles that even manages a careful allusion to the death of Princess Diana.

    Bards at the Inaugural Gates 2009

  • It appears, from this epithalamium, that young men, before their marriage, had a favorite selected from among their slaves and that this favorite was charged with the distribution of nuts among his comrades, on the day, they in turn, treated him with contempt and hooted him.

    Satyricon 2007

  • He sets out his son and his church in that epithalamium or mystical song of Solomon, to enamour us the more, comparing his head to fine gold, his locks curled and black as a raven, Cant. iv.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • “If your Majesty would only condescend to turn the epigram into an epithalamium?” said the Count, trying to turn the sally to good account.

    The Ball at Sceaux 2007

  • “If your Majesty would only condescend to turn the epigram into an epithalamium?” said the Count, trying to turn the sally to good account.

    The Ball at Sceaux 2007

  • At the end of the avenue, a select bevy of comely virgins arrayed in white, and a separate band of choice youths distinguished by garlands of laurel and holly interweaved, fell into the procession, and sung in chorus a rustic epithalamium composed by the curate.

    The Life and Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves 2004

  • Marguerite, and threw a parchment, tied with a golden ribbon, into the princess 'litter; an epithalamium, in verse, written in her own fair hand.

    Under the Rose Frederic Stewart Isham

  • At the marriage of Rupert's mother, the student Hampden was chosen to write the Oxford epithalamium, exulting in the prediction of some noble offspring to follow such a union.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 20, June, 1859 Various

Comments

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  • "No one is born a baitman, I don't think, but the rings of Saturn sing epithalamium the sea-beasts dower." -- Roger Zelazny, "The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of his Mouth"

    October 6, 2009

  • (noun) - A nuptial song in praise of the bride and bridegroom, wishing them happiness. --Nathaniel Bailey's Etymological English Dictionary, 1749

    April 22, 2018