I. rōˈman(t)s, -maa(ə)n-, ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English romauns, romaunce, from Old French romans, romanz French, something composed in French, tale in verse, from Latin Romanice in the Roman manner, from Romanicus Roman, from Romanus Roman + -icus -ic — more at roman
1. often capitalized
a. : a tale in verse written in medieval times based chiefly on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural — called also metrical romance ; compare epic
b. : a prose tale written in medieval times and resembling a metrical romance
c. : a prose narrative having romantic qualities or characteristics: as
(1) : one treating imaginary characters involved in events unrelated to everyday life — compare fantasy fiction
(2) : one dealing with the remote in time or place, the heroic, the adventurous, and often the mysterious — compare historical novel
d. : a class or division of literature comprising romance or romantic fiction
2. : something (as an extravagant invention or wild exaggeration) that lacks basis or foundation in fact
new institutions were growing up to fight the speculation and romance that passed for science — Mari Sandoz
the critic … has given us what is really merely a romance exploiting the supposed working of the mechanism, in place of an actual study that sticks close to the facts — C.I.Glicksberg
3. : the quality or state of being romantic
there is real romance in the way words have come to have their present meanings — A.T.Weaver
there is such romance attaching to all who explore uncharted seas in cockleshell boats — Times Literary Supplement
romance of the pioneer
romance of steel and steam
romance of history
romance of whaling
4.
a.
(1) : a love, love affair, or marriage of a romantic nature
high school romance
the romance reportedly developed on ski jaunts — Current Biography
a fairy tale of love and romance with a beautiful … girl — L.O.Coxe
he and his wife are reported to have lived a romance lasting almost sixty years — W.S.Rusk
(2) : lovemaking
b. : an attraction or aspiration of an emotional or romantic character
the dream of travel … was his romance — George Meredith
the League of Nations was his first real romance — James Cameron
religion was their romance — Van Wyck Brooks
5. capitalized
a. : the languages developed from Latin (as Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian) that constitute a division of the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family — see indo-european languages table
b. : any of such languages
II. (ˈ) ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adjective
1. usually capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting the Romance languages
2. : of or relating to the countries succeeding the Roman Empire in the medieval period
3. : of, relating to, or characterized by romance or the romantic
romance accounts of these last Gaulish invasions — Thomas Arnold
III. ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷, ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1. : to exaggerate or invent detail or incident in a romantic manner
would romance about the notables he met or the books he read — R.B.Morris
the great scandal … was his habit of unscrupulous romancing — Edmund Wilson
2. : to entertain romantic thoughts or ideas
looking in at the windows … and romancing over the pictures — L.P.Smith
transitive verb
1. : to exaggerate or invent (as detail or incident) in a romantic manner
the book exceeds and romances the factual material — Donald Sutherland
this romanced account of his wanderings, his turpitudes, and his squabbles — A.L.Guérard
2. : to seek the favor or influence of by personal attention, flattery, or gifts
was nice to the press and romanced the disc jockeys — Time
3. : to make love to : carry on a love affair with
a favorite spot … to romance their girl friends — Budd Schulberg
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Spanish, from Old Spanish, Spanish, something written in Spanish, tale, ballad, from Latin Romanice in the Roman manner — more at romance I
1. : a short lyric tale set to music
2. : a song or short instrumental piece in ballad style