μέλος
Alt. μέλος, εος,
I. "a limb", Hom., etc.; μελέων ἔντοσθε within my "bodily frame", Aesch.; κατὰ μέλεα "limb by limb", like μελεϊστί, Hdt.
II. "a song, strain", Hhymn., etc.:—esp. of "lyric poetry", ἐν μέλεϊ ποιέειν to write in "lyric strain", Hdt.; μέλη, τά, "lyric poetry, the choral songs", opp. to the dialogue, Plat.
2. "the music to which a song is set, the tune", id=Plat.; ἐν μέλει "in tune", id=Plat.; παρὰ μέλος, "out of tune", id=Plat.