melancholy
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melancholy
Archaic
a. a gloomy character, thought to be caused by too much black bile
b. one of the four bodily humours; black bile
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Melancholy
See also Grief.
Acheronriver of woe in the underworld. [Gk. Myth.: Howe, 5]
lists causes, symptoms, and characteristics of melancholy. [Br. Lit.: Anatomy of Melancholy]
beset by woes. [Br. Lit.: “Sad Fortunes of Amos Barton” in Walsh Modern, 45]
humor effecting temperament of gloominess. [Medieval Physiology: Hall, 130]
melancholy, bittersweet music born among American Negroes. [Am. Music: Scholes, 113]
serious, moody, melancholic minister. [Br. Lit.: St. Ronan’s Well]
driven to gloom by collapse of expectations. [Br. Lit.: Bleak House]
oracle so awe-inspiring, consulters never smiled again. [Gk. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 1103]
amusingly gloomy, morose donkey. [Children’s Lit.: Winnie-the-Pooh]
meditative poem of a melancholy mood. [Br. Lit.: Harvey, 266]
immigration center where many families were separated; “isle of tears.” [Am. Hist.: Flexner, 193]
“lone lorn creetur” with melancholy disposition. [Br. Lit.: David Copperfield]
black mood dominates his consciousness. [Brit. Lit.: Shakespeare Hamlet]
flesh brings melancholy to those who eat it. [Animal Symbolism: Mercatante, 125]
poem celebrating the pleasures of melancholy and solitude. [Br. Lit.: Milton Il Penseroso in Magill IV, 577]
“can suck melancholy out of a song.” [Br. Lit.: As You Like It]
forever weeping and bemoaning his fate. [Br. Lit.: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland]
no joy here when Casey struck out. [Am. Sports Lit.: “Casey at the Bat” in Turlin, 642]
composed, sang many melancholic songs in memory of deceased Eurydice. [Gk. Myth.: Orpheus and Eurydice, Magill I, 700–701]
discomfited by his existence’s purposelessness, solitarily despairs. [Fr. Lit.: Nausea]
hapless and helpless soldier; resigned to his fate. [Comics: Horn, 595–596]
life’s gloominess. [O.T.: Psalms 23:4]
child full of woe. [Nurs. Rhyme: Opie, 309]
tree symbolizes grief. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 178]
Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.