noun
refrain
A line or phrase repeated in a song or poem.
The chorus repeats the song's refrain.
Etymology
The song term developed from a word associated with breaking or interrupting. The recurring phrase interrupts the succession of verses with the same repeated words or music.
More examples
- Several refrains echoed through the poem.
- She joined in the refrain.
- The same complaint became a familiar refrain.
Forms
refrain · refrains
Similar words
- chorus
- A repeated musical section, often longer.
- repetition
- Any recurrence, not specifically a recurring line.