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swan song

 - 3 dictionary results

swan song

 
Use swan song in a Sentence
–noun
the last act or manifestation of someone or something; farewell appearance: This building turned out to be the swan song of Victorian architecture.
Origin:
1825–35; so called from the belief that the dying swan sings
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To swan song
swan song  
n.  

  1. A farewell or final appearance, action, or work.

  2. The beautiful legendary song sung only once by a swan in its lifetime, as it is dying.


[From the belief that the swan sings as it dies.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

swan song

A final accomplishment or performance, one's last work. For example, I'm resigning tomorrow; this project was my swan song. This term alludes to the old belief that swans normally are mute but burst into beautiful song moments before they die. Although the idea is much older, the term was first recorded in English only in 1890.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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