Apedia

Mellifluous Flowing Latin Root Villains Muh Lif Loo Us Adjective Honey

Front mellifluous \muh-LIF-loo-us\
Back adjective
Flowing as with honey; flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous voice.

[From Middle English, from Late Latin mellifluus, from melli-, from Latin mel (honey) + fluere (to flow). Some other words that come from the same root are marmalade, molasses, and the unlikely mildew! One word that has somewhat similar sense and sound but different root is melodious (from melos: song).]

"The lambada, a mellifluous, nearly licentious dance from the north-east part of Brazil, piqued the world's interest (and briefly Hollywood's) early in this decade." - What makes Brazil Brazilian? (Brazilians' Passion for Dancing); The Economist (London, UK); Mar 30, 1996.

"Lincoln Center provided a symbolic glossary: the good guys wear green and white, the villains red. Heroes sing mellifluous chant; villains speak; women are played by heavily veiled men." - Edward Rothstein; A Gap Between Cultures Crying Out for a Bridge; The New York Times; Jul 20, 2002.

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