melisma

noun /məˈlɪzmə/

1. A passage of several notes sung to one syllable of text.

   countable

   A choir sang one of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The mournful melisma accompanied the slow procession to the palace built by Herod the Great, at present untenanted.

2. The use of such passages.

   uncountable

   A subsequent generation of singers, including Ms. Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé, built their careers around melisma.

Where it comes from

From Ancient Greek μέλισμα (mélisma, “song”), from μελίζω (melízō, “(I) sing, modulate; (I) celebrate in song”), from μέλος (mélos, “song, tune, melody; limb, part; member”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry melisma (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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