ETYM as. song, sang, from singan to sing; akin to Dutch zang, German sang, Icel. söngr, Goth. saggws. Related to Sing.
1. A distinctive or characteristic sound.
2. A short musical composition with words.
3. The act of singing; SYN. strain.
4. A very small sum.
A setting of words to music for one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment. Song may be sacred, for example a psalm, motet, or cantata, or secular, for example a folk song or ballad. In verse song, the text changes in mood while the music remains the same; in lied and other forms of art song, the music changes in response to the emotional development of the text.