ROUNDELAY


Meaning of ROUNDELAY in English

ˈrau̇ndəˌlā also ˈrän- noun

( -s )

Etymology: modification (influenced by lay ) (IV) of Middle French rondelet, diminutive of rondel small circle, rondeau, from Old French — more at roundel

1.

a. : rondeau 2a

b. : a simple lively-spirited song or air

water nymphs that are singing their roundelays under me — H.W.Longfellow

2. : round dance

3. : a poem with a refrain that recurs frequently or at fixed intervals as in a rondel

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.