leitmotiv

leit·mo·tif

also leit·mo·tiv  (līt′mō-tēf′)

n.

1. A melodic passage or phrase, especially in Wagnerian opera, associated with a specific character, situation, or element.

2. A dominant and recurring theme, as in a novel.

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[German Leitmotiv : leiten, to lead (from Middle High German, from Old High German leitan; see leit- in Indo-European roots) + Motiv, motif (from French motif; see motif).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

leitmotiv - a melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas) leitmotif melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, tune, strain, air, line - a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

leitmotivtema ricorrente

leitmotiv

[ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf] N → leitmotiv m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

leitmotiv

leitmotif [ˈlaɪtməʊˌtiːf] n (Mus) (fig) → leitmotiv m inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995