noun
roundelay
ROWN-duh-lay/ˈraʊndəˌleɪ/
A short lyrical composition with a repeated refrain.
The three singers repeat the refrain of a simple roundelay.
Etymology
Rondel meant “small circle” and named a poem whose opening couplet returned at the end. Its further diminutive gives roundelay the same image of words circling back through a repeated refrain.
More examples
- Each stanza of her roundelay ends with the same line.
- The choir sings a cheerful roundelay about spring.
- We write short roundelays and read them aloud in class.
Forms
roundelay · roundelays
refrain noun — Repeated words in a song or poem.