nocturne-like
|noc-turne-like|
🇺🇸
/ˈnɑk.tɝnˌlaɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˈnɒk.tɜːnˌlaɪk/
resembling a nocturne
Etymology
'nocturne-like' is a modern English compound formed from 'nocturne' + the suffix '-like'. 'Nocturne' comes via French from Latin 'nocturnus' (from 'noct-' meaning 'night'), and '-like' descends from Old English '-līc' meaning 'having the form of, similar to'.
'nocturne' entered English in the late 18th to early 19th century (influenced by French usage for musical pieces evocative of night); the productive English suffix '-like' (from Old English '-līc') has long been used to form adjectives meaning 'similar to'. These elements were combined in modern English to create the descriptive compound 'nocturne-like'.
Initially, 'nocturnus' and later 'nocturne' meant 'of the night' or specifically a musical piece evocative of night; over time the compound 'nocturne-like' came to mean 'resembling a nocturne' and is used broadly for musical, visual, or literary qualities that evoke nighttime mood or imagery.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
resembling or characteristic of a nocturne (a musical composition evocative of the night): calm, dreamy, often melancholic or intimate in mood.
The piano piece had a nocturne-like quality, its slow arpeggios bathing the room in a hushed, contemplative mood.
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Adjective 2
suggestive of night scenes or nocturnal imagery in visual art or literature (e.g., muted colors, soft contrast, shadowy atmosphere).
The city's skyline at dusk appeared almost nocturne-like in the painting, with shadowed alleys and pale street lamps.
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Last updated: 2025/12/31 06:55