Definition of "dithyramb" []

• A frenzied, impassioned choric hymn and dance of ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus. (noun)
• An irregular poetic expression suggestive of the ancient Greek dithyramb. (noun)
• A wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The dithyramb is a chant in chorus in honour of a god or a hero."
• "His last letter is a kind of dithyramb about "Lohengrin," which naturally predisposes me favourably towards the man."
• "This dithyramb had a specific provocation: “While I was at Harvard,” she wrote with grave alarm, “I saw Professors smoking cigarettes.”"