# song

/ˈsɔŋ/ (US) · /sˈɒŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/song
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. music with words

noun · CEFR A1

a short piece of music with words that you sing.

For teachers: a musical composition intended for the human voice, typically featuring lyrics.

- She wrote a beautiful song about her childhood home.
- The lead singer performed a haunting acoustic song that showcased her impressive vocal range and emotional depth.

### 2. animal sounds

noun · CEFR A2

the musical sounds made by birds or other animals like whales.

For teachers: a series of melodious sounds produced by certain animals, especially birds, for communication or mating.

- We woke up early to the sound of bird song outside our window.
- Ornithologists study the complex song of the nightingale to understand how regional dialects develop within the species.

### 3. poetry

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a poem or a piece of poetry.

For teachers: a poetical composition or verse, often intended to be rhythmic or lyrical.

- The old book was filled with songs of love and loss.
- The epic poem functions as a song of praise for the fallen heroes of the revolution.

### 4. very cheaply

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

used in the phrase 'for a song' to mean buying something for a very low price.

For teachers: a negligible or very small amount of money; almost exclusively used in the idiom 'for a song'.

- She bought that antique table for a song at the garage sale.
- Because the developer was facing bankruptcy, the entire estate was sold off for a song to a private equity firm.

Usage: Usually appears in the prepositional phrase 'for a song'.

## Examples

- She sings a beautiful song every morning.
- The radio played a popular song that everyone in the car started singing along to.
- The composer blended traditional folk melodies with modern electronic beats to create a song that resonated across multiple generations of listeners.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.