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Noun: leitmotiv  'lIt-mow,teef
  1. A melodic phrase that accompanies the reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas)
    "The ominous leitmotiv signaled the villain's entrance";
    - leitmotif

Derived forms: leitmotivs

Type of: air, line, melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, strain, tune

Encyclopedia: Leitmotiv