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swan song
" We were the best team in the world: European champions in 1984, we qualified without a hitch and 86 was to be the swan song for a very experienced side."
Michel Patini

Meaning of "swan song" in the English dictionary

DICTIONARY

PRONUNCIATION OF SWAN SONG

swan song


GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SWAN SONG

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Swan song is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES SWAN SONG MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Swan song

The Swan song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song in the moment just before death, having been silent during most of their lifetime. This belief, whose basis in actuality is long-debated, had become proverbial in Ancient Greece by the 3rd century BCE, and was reiterated many times in later Western poetry and art.

Definition of swan song in the English dictionary

The definition of swan song in the dictionary is the last act, appearance, publication, or utterance of a person before retirement or death. Other definition of swan song is the song that a dying swan is said to sing.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SWAN SONG

swan · swan dive · Swan Lake · swan maiden · swan neck · swan-necked · swan-upping · swan´s-down · Swandri · Swanee · swanherd · swank · swanker · swankier · swankiest · swankily · swankiness · swankpot · swanky · swanlike

WORDS THAT END LIKE SWAN SONG

birdsong · drinking song · evensong · folk song · for a song · gospel song · love song · marching song · on song · part song · patter song · plainsong · pop song · prick song · school song · singsong · siren song · song · theme song · torch song

Synonyms and antonyms of swan song in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «swan song» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR

TRANSLATION OF SWAN SONG

Find out the translation of swan song to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of swan song from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «swan song» in English.
zh

Translator English - Chinese

天鹅之歌
1,325 millions of speakers
es

Translator English - Spanish

canto del cisne
570 millions of speakers
en

English

swan song
510 millions of speakers
hi

Translator English - Hindi

हंस गीत
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

بجعة أغنية
280 millions of speakers
ru

Translator English - Russian

лебединая песня
278 millions of speakers
pt

Translator English - Portuguese

canto do cisne
270 millions of speakers
bn

Translator English - Bengali

হান গান
260 millions of speakers
fr

Translator English - French

chant du cygne
220 millions of speakers
ms

Translator English - Malay

lagu Angsa
190 millions of speakers
de

Translator English - German

Abgesang
180 millions of speakers
ja

Translator English - Japanese

白鳥の歌
130 millions of speakers
ko

Translator English - Korean

백조 의 노래
85 millions of speakers
jv

Translator English - Javanese

Swan song
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

bài hát thiên nga
80 millions of speakers
ta

Translator English - Tamil

ஸ்வான் பாடல்
75 millions of speakers
mr

Translator English - Marathi

हंस गाणे
75 millions of speakers
tr

Translator English - Turkish

kuğu Şarkısı
70 millions of speakers
it

Translator English - Italian

canto del cigno
65 millions of speakers
pl

Translator English - Polish

łabędzi śpiew
50 millions of speakers
uk

Translator English - Ukrainian

лебедина пісня
40 millions of speakers
ro

Translator English - Romanian

cântec de lebădă
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

κύκνειο άσμα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

swanesang
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

svanesång
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

svanesang
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of swan song

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SWAN SONG»

Principal search tendencies and common uses of swan song
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «swan song».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about swan song

EXAMPLES

QUOTES WITH «SWAN SONG»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word swan song.
1
Michel Patini
We were the best team in the world: European champions in 1984, we qualified without a hitch and 86 was to be the swan song for a very experienced side.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SWAN SONG»

Discover the use of swan song in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to swan song and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Swan Song
In a nightmarish, post-holocaust world, an ancient evil roams a devastated America, gathering the forces of human greed and madness, searching for a child named Swan who possesses the gift of life.
Robert McCammon, 2009
2
Swan Song
SWAN SONG is Robert McCammon's prescient and "shocking" (John Saul) vision of a post-Apocalyptic nation, a grand epic of terror and, ultimately, renewal.
Robert McCammon, 2003
3
Swan Song
We partner with leading publishers around the globe. Our goal is to have accessible editions simultaneously released with publishers' new books so that all readers can have access to the books they want to read.
John Galsworthy, 2008
4
Swan Song
Ryan cannot let that happen. After all, he has an entire world to avenge. Swan Song is the last book in Kevin Kauffmann's Icarus Trilogy, concluding the tale of Ryan Jenkins and the soldiers from Eris.
Kevin Kauffmann, 2012
5
Swan Song
Robert McCammon. number of men were wrestling more logs and brush into position as the wall grew higher. Robin looked up at the low, ugly sky. “It'll be dark in another hour. If they're anywhere near, we might be able to see their fires.
Robert McCammon, 2009
6
Swan Song
As dawn breaks, the pale body of a beautiful, raven-haired young woman is discovered in an errant swan boat, adrift on a small lake, smack in the middle of a jewel-like park in Downtown Orlando.
Lee Hanson, 2012
7
Swan Song
Contains poems about the world's extinct animals.
J. Patrick Lewis, 2003
8
Swan Song (EasyRead Large Bold Edition)
We partner with leading publishers around the globe. Our goal is to have accessible editions simultaneously released with publishers' new books so that all readers can have access to the books they want to read.
John Galsworthy, 2008
9
Swan Song
An adventure story combining excitement, drama, tragedy and hope, set in a fragile natural environment. In Swan Song, Colin Thiele revisits the Coorong, the haunting setting of his classic story STORM BOY.
Colin Thiele, 2013
10
Strands of Memory: My Swan Song
It tells stories and draws word pictures about love, family, friendship, work, war, nature, life, and death. The collection also sings the songs of his life, his joys and sorrows.
William R. Tracey, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SWAN SONG»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term swan song is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Dave Best: Give us a Bond swan song we weren't expecting
As decent a singer as he is, and as good a job I think he'd end up doing, I just can't help but think that the results are just going to be a bit “Bond song by ... «Yorkshire Evening Post, Jul 15»
2
Time for Wayne's swan song
The news that Mr Swan intends to recontest his Brisbane seat of Lilley next year ... do the right thing by his party, and the voters, and deliver his final swan song. «The Australian, Apr 15»
3
Swan song: State wants to get rid of our mute swans
The population of huge, regal mute swans living wild in the Rochester area and the rest of upstate New York could largely disappear — be resettled or killed ... «Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Apr 15»
4
Oscars: Story behind Glen Campbell's swan song
USA TODAY gets the stories behind the nominees for for best original song at this Sunday's Academy Awards. I'm Not Gonna Miss You from Glen Campbell: I'll ... «USA TODAY, Feb 15»
5
Gov. Cuomo vetoes mute swan bill
CUE THE swan song. Gov. Cuomo panned a bill Wednesday that would have protected a controversial species of the birds that flock to waterways in Brooklyn ... «New York Daily News, Dec 14»
6
Band Aid: 6 reasons why it's time for a swan song
Band Aid: 6 reasons why it's time for a swan song ... called Midge Ure from Ultravox and they quickly wrote the fundraising song, “Do they know it's Christmas?”. «Toronto Star, Nov 14»
7
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved review: Kinect's swan songs
We've spent years cataloguing the missteps and issues that have plagued the Kinect motion sensor, Microsoft's would-be answer to the Nintendo Wii. Somehow ... «Ars Technica, Oct 14»
8
Rowdy swan song
A swan that has been throwing his weight about on the river Cam has been nicknamed Asboy, in memory of the cob (male swan), going by the name of Mr Asbo, ... «Telegraph.co.uk, Aug 14»
9
'Breaking Bad' Swan Song: Producer Todd Rundgren Looks Back at …
More than 10 million viewers tuned in for Sunday night's series finale, so it's no surprise that many wanted to hear Walter White's swan song again immediately ... «Hollywood Reporter, Oct 13»
10
Castle "Swan Song" Review: The Day the Music Died
"Swan Song" was an episode of Castle in which very little happened. There was a murder mystery, yes. There was also a bit of dancing around the usual ... «TV.com, Nov 12»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Swan song [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/swan-song>. May 2024 ».
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