/ ˈbæləd; NAmE / noun
1.
a song or poem that tells a story :
a medieval ballad about a knight and a lady
2.
a slow popular song about love :
Her latest single is a ballad.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (denoting a light, simple song): from Old French balade , from Provençal balada dance, song to dance to, from balar to dance, from late Latin ballare ; related to Greek ballizein to dance. The sense narrative poem dates from the mid 18th cent.