1876, "a musical figure to which some definite meaning is attached," from German Leitmotiv, literally "lead motive," from leiten "to lead" (see lead (v.1)) + Motiv (see motive). A term associated with Wagnerian musical drama, though the thing itself is at least as old as Mozart. "The leitmotif must be characteristic of the person or thing it is intended to represent." ["Elson's Music Dictionary"]
双语例句
1. The title of one of Dietrich's best-known songs could serve as the leitmotif for her life.
黛德丽的一生可用她的一首名曲的名字来概括。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Maybe greater inequality in pay is an unavoidable megatrend, a leitmotif for the 21 st century.
