A.Word.A.Day --fugue

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fugue

PRONUNCIATION:

(fyoog)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A musical form in which a theme is repeated in several voices and developed into a complex pattern.
2. A pathological state of consciousness in which someone appears to be conscious of one's actions but has no memory of them after returning to a normal state.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Italian fuga (escape, flight), from Latin fuga (flight), from fugere (to flee) which is also the source of fugitive, centrifugal, subterfuge, refuge, and fugacious. Earliest documented use: 1597.

USAGE:

"The balance between strings, harpsichord, and flute was spot on during the meshing lines of the fugue."
Libby Hanssen; Second Summerfest Concert Challenges the Status Quo; Kansas City Star; Jul 17, 2011.

"On the subway home, I opened my bags to see what, in my shopping-induced fugue state, I had actually purchased."
Ariel Kaminer; It's Always Sunny in Targetland; The New York Times; Jul 30, 2010.

See more usage examples of fugue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now. -Bob Monkhouse, comedian (1928-2003)

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