philomel
- noun
- /ˈfɪləˌmɛl/
- Archaic
:
filomela
- In the quiet garden, the sweet notes of a philomel drifted through the evening air.
Examples
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The philomel sang sweetly in the moonlight.
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Have you ever heard a philomel sing?
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The poet compared her voice to that of a philomel singing at dawn.
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He listened to the philomel and felt a deep sense of longing and peace.
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In the quiet garden, the sweet notes of a philomel drifted through the evening air.
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The poet compared her voice to that of a philomel singing at dawn.
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The philomel sang sweetly in the moonlight.
Synonyms
16
4.4
A small bird that sings beautifully at night
A poetic name for the nightingale often linked to sorrow
A small songbird in Europe called the nightingale that sings loudly at night
Surface Forms
Etymology
Philomel comes from Greek parts philo- 'love' and -mel 'song', the same root you see in melody. In an old story the name Philomela belonged to a woman who became a nightingale, so philomel is used in poetry for the nightingale, a bird loved for its beautiful song.