Webster's English Dictionary

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melody

mel.o.dy \'mel-*d-e-\ n [ME melodie, fr. OF, fr. LL melodia, fr. Gk 
   melo-idia chan]ting, music, fr. melos limb, musical phrase, song + aeidein 
   to sing; akin to Bret mell joint - more at ODE 1: a sweet or agreeable 
   succession or arrangement of sounds : TUNEFULN ESS 2a: a rhythmic 
   succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole  2b: a musical 
   line as it appears on the staff when viewed horizontally  2c: the chief 
   part in a harmonic composition