Definitions

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

  • noun A song, especially a French one.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A song.
  • noun A finger-ring with an inscription. See posy-ring.
  • noun The motto on a ring.

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

  • noun A song.

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

  • noun Any song with French words, but more specifically classic, lyric-driven French songs.
  • noun obsolete A religious song.

Etymologies

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

[French, from Old French, from Latin cantiō, cantiōn-, from cantus, past participle of cantāre, to sing; see chant.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the French, chanson ("song")

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Examples

  • The 'chanson' -- _i. e._, the dance tune, was played on the flute, and accompanied by the 'tabourin' or drum, which beats all the time.

    Shakespeare and Music With Illustrations from the Music of the 16th and 17th centuries 1900

  • Her style is often described as "chanson" but in fact, it mixes classic French elements with American pop and rock music.

    esctoday.com | news 2009

  • -- [MS.] [236] {504} [Brantôme (_Memoires, etc. _, 1722, i. 215) quotes a "chanson" of "Les soldats Espagnols" as they marched Romewards.

    The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 5 Poetry George Gordon Byron Byron 1806

  • “Le mousse” de la chanson enfantine “Il était un petit navire” was the youngest of “les matelots” and might have been your age perhaps?

    mousse - French Word-A-Day 2010

  • French Vocabulary la chanson (f) = song; bon, ça suffit!

    retirer - French Word-A-Day 2009

  • With their inherent drama, influenced by French chanson , his new songs could be easily rearranged for vocalists as varied as Chris Isaacs, Raul Malo or Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; the late Roy Orbison would have had much to choose from had he the chance to explore the Condon canon.

    The Heart of Beirut's Brass Melancholia Jim Fusilli 2011

  • Although seen as the ultimate living exponent of la chanson française , Mr. Aznavour's roots are Armenian.

    The Formidable Nouveautés of Fall Lennox Morrison 2011

  • Jour "J" pour te chanter le bon vieux refrain de la chanson populaire:

    se reposer sur ses lauriers - French Word-A-Day 2010

  • Though these trio gigs with local bass and drums partners Geoff Gascoyne and Sebastiaan de Krom will likely focus on his massive songwriting CV and long involvement with chanson rather than improv pianistics, they're a rare chance to hear a legend of 20th-century popular composition at close range.

    This week's new live music 2011

  • I am driving the kids home from school, singing a silly French chanson -- something I have just made up, based on the latest grammar correction I've received from my French son -- when the latter puts a stop to my singing.

    retirer - French Word-A-Day 2009

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