romance: Meaning and Definition of

ro•mance

Pronunciation: (n., adj.rō-mans', rō'mansv.rō-mans'), [key]
— n., v., adj. -manced, -manc•ing,
—n.
  1. a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting.
  2. the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales.
  3. a medieval narrative, originally one in verse and in some Romance dialect, treating of heroic, fantastic, or supernatural events, often in the form of allegory.
  4. a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention.
  5. a romantic spirit, sentiment, emotion, or desire.
  6. romantic character or quality.
  7. a romantic affair or experience; a love affair.
  8. (cap.) Also calledthe group of Italic Indo-European languages descended sincea.d.800 from Latin, as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Rumanian, Provençal, Catalan, Rhaeto-Romanic, Sardinian, and Ladino. Abbr.: Rom.
—v.i.
  1. to invent or relate romances; indulge in fanciful or extravagant stories or daydreams.
  2. to think or talk romantically.
—v.t.
  1. He's currently romancing a very attractive widow.
    1. to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness:He's currently romancing a very attractive widow.
    2. to court the favor of or make overtures to; play up to:They need to romance the local business community if they expect to do business here.
—adj.
  1. (cap.) of, pertaining to, or noting Romance: a Romance language.

ro•mance

Pronunciation: (rō-mans'), [key]
— n.
  1. a short, simple melody, vocal or instrumental, of tender character.
  2. a short epic poem, esp. a historical ballad.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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