coda

Plural: codas

Noun

• A concluding passage of a musical composition, signaling the end.
• the closing section of a musical composition
• A passage that brings a movement or piece to a conclusion through prolongation.
• The optional final sound of a syllable or word, occurring after its nucleus and usually composed of one or more consonants.
• In seismograms, the gradual return to baseline after a seismic event. The length of the coda can be used to estimate event magnitude, and the shape sometimes reveals details of subsurface structures.
• A conclusion (of a statement or event, for example), final portion, tail end.
• A series of clicks used by sperm whales for communicating with each other.
• Alternative spelling of CODA.

Examples

• His final word, a CODA, sealed his victory with a flourish on the Scrabble board.
• The word “salts” has three consonants — /l/, /t/, and /s/ — in its coda, whereas the word “glee” has no coda at all.

Synonyms

finale, auslaut

Antonyms

anlaut, onset

Related Words

vowel, 𝄌