/
ˈmadrɪg(ə)l/
n.
a 16th- or 17th-century part song for several voices, typically unaccompanied and arranged in elaborate counterpoint.
Derivative
- madrigalian
/-ˈgeɪlɪən/
adj. - madrigalist n.
Etymology
from Ital. madrigale, from med. L. carmen matricale ‘simple song’.
