paean
pronunciation
How to pronounce paean in British English:
UK [ˈpi:ən]
How to pronounce paean in American English:
US [ˈpiən]
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- Noun:
- a formal expression of praise
- (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)
Word Origin
- paean (n.)
- 1590s, from Latin paean "hymn of deliverance," from Greek paian "hymn, chant, hymn to Apollo," from Paian, a name of the god of healing; originally the physician of the gods (in Homer), later merged with Apollo; literally "one who touches" (i.e. "one who heals by a touch"), from paio "to touch, strike."
Example
- 1. The novel is a paean to the end of empire .
- 2. Early on , each of these five offers a long paean to his family .
- 3. The book was a paean to the old agrarian values which , he claimed , were part of norway 's soul .
- 4. One of the attractions was a giant mural named " water-splashing festival : a paean of life " .
- 5. In this regard , gandhi 's paean to the village was spot-on .