mad ‧ ri ‧ gal /ˈmædrɪɡ ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Italian ; Origin: madrigale , from Late Latin matricalis 'of the womb, simple' , from Latin matrix ; ⇨ ↑ matrix ]
a song for several singers without musical instruments, popular in the 16th century