Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sad Portuguese folk song.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A Portuguese form of folk-song. See the extract.
  • noun A Portuguese dance common among the lower classes, or the music for it. The characteristic pattern of the music is

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A Portuguese folk song, usually featuring a single vocalist, Portuguese guitar and sometimes classical guitar. Lyrical themes are often melancholic in nature; the structure of the song is of greater importance.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a sad Portuguese folksong

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Portuguese, from Latin fātum, fate; see fate.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Portuguese fado ("fate"), from Latin fatum.

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Examples

  • Luckily this time the choice is obvious anyway, beautiful fado from the Portugese side.

    Pop World Cup 2010: Round of 16 Match 7 – Honduras 2 Portugal 1 | FreakyTrigger 2010

  • The music style known as fado, from the Portuguese for "fate," or "destiny," can be traced back to the early nineteenth century and is characterized by its mournful tunes and lyrics.

    The New Yorker newyorker.com 2012

  • The word fado is derived from the Latin fatum and means destiny.

    TODAY'S ZAMAN :: News 2009

  • The haunting and unique melody is called fado, the pride of Portuguese music, first developed in the mid-19th century.

    Coimbra's Fado Haunts 2008

  • In their playwrights' note, the composer and lyricist team describe being on vacation in Portugal six years ago and reading about the longing, urban musical style known as fado and the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriana in a Lisbon city travel guide.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed J. Kelly Nestruck 2011

  • In their playwrights' note, the composer and lyricist team describe being on vacation in Portugal six years ago and reading about the longing, urban musical style known as fado and the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriana in a Lisbon city travel guide.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed J. Kelly Nestruck 2011

  • In their playwrights' note, the composer and lyricist team describe being on vacation in Portugal six years ago and reading about the longing, urban musical style known as fado and the legendary fadista Maria Severa Onofriana in a Lisbon city travel guide.

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed J. Kelly Nestruck 2011

  • It was music forged in the clubs called fado houses in Lisbon, entwining Portuguese song with tinges of Arabic music and echoes of the Portuguese empire returning to that port city: from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde and perhaps Macao.

    NYT > Home Page By JON PARELES 2011

  • R The melancholy Portuguese music called fado was long practically embodied by the great Amalia Rodrigues, and the genre's recent renaissance has brought singers like Mariza, Ana Moura, and Cristina Branco to Chicago -- all of which might suggest that it's strictly a female art.

    Chicago Reader 2010

  • R The melancholy Portuguese music called fado was long practically embodied by the great Amalia Rodrigues, and the genre's recent renaissance has brought singers like Mariza, Ana Moura, and Cristina Branco to Chicago -- all of which might suggest that it's strictly a female art.

    Chicago Reader 2010

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