Noun: leitmotif 'lIt-mow,teef
- A melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas)
"The ominous leitmotif signaled the villain's entrance";
- leitmotiv
Derived forms: leitmotifs
Type of: air, line, melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, strain, tune
Encyclopedia: Leitmotif