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Glite Dictionary
barcarolle

barcarolle

9.9
A gentle song sung by people rowing boats in Venice
  • noun
  • /ˌbɑrkəˈrɔl/
translation icon : barcarola
  • Listening to that barcarolle reminded me of summer evenings by the water.

Examples

  • The gondolier sang a barcarolle as we glided through the canals of Venice.

  • "Songs like Oh, Lovely Moon and The Barcarolle leave me quite weak-kneed.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • It had a profound influence on my life, and I still remember going to the local music store to buy my first record, Offenbach's 'Barcarolle'...

    Academic text (1999)

  • The soothing rhythm of the barcarolle captured the essence of a peaceful row on the lake.

Synonyms

barcarole
vsbarcarolle
9.9

A gentle song sung by gondola rowers in Venice with a beat like rowing

has identical meaning but is spelled as an alternate form

Surface Forms

barcarolle singular
barcarolles plural

Etymology

The word barcarolle comes from the Italian barca meaning 'boat' and originally named a 'boat song' sung by gondoliers in Venice. So a barcarolle today is a musical piece with a slow, rocking rhythm that sounds like the gentle pull of oars and the movement of a boat.