2 ADJ Music that is melodic has beautiful tunes in it. □ Wonderfully melodic and tuneful, his songs have made me weep. ● me|lodi|cal|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ The leader has also learned to play more melodically.
me|lo|dious /m I loʊ diəs/ ADJ A melodious sound is pleasant to listen to. [LITERARY ] □ She spoke in a quietly melodious voice.
melo|dra|ma /me lədrɑːmə/ (melodramas ) N‑VAR A melodrama is a story or play in which there are a lot of exciting or sad events and in which people's emotions are very exaggerated.
melo|dra|mat|ic /me lədrəmæ t I k/ ADJ Melodramatic behaviour is behaviour in which someone treats a situation as much more serious than it really is. □ 'Don't you think you're being rather melodramatic?' Jane asked. ● melo|dra|mati|cal|ly /me lədrəmæ t I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'For God's sake,' Michael said melodramatically, 'Whatever you do, don't look down.'
melo|dy /me lədi/ (melodies ) N‑COUNT A melody is a tune. [FORMAL ]
mel|on /me lən/ (melons ) N‑VAR A melon is a large fruit which is sweet and juicy inside and has a hard green or yellow skin.
melt /me lt/ (melts , melting , melted )
1 VERB When a solid substance melts or when you melt it, it changes to a liquid, usually because it has been heated. □ [V ] The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid. □ [V n] Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water. □ [V -ed] Add the melted butter, molasses, salt, and flour.
2 VERB If something such as your feelings melt , they suddenly disappear and you no longer feel them. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] His anxiety about the outcome melted, to return later but not yet. ● PHRASAL VERB Melt away means the same as melt . □ [V P ] When he heard these words, Shinran felt his inner doubts melt away.
3 VERB If a person or thing melts into something such as darkness or a crowd of people, they become difficult to see, for example because they are moving away from you or are the same colour as the background. [LITERARY ] □ [V + into ] The youths dispersed and melted into the darkness.
4 VERB If someone or something melts your heart, or if your heart melts , you start to feel love or sympathy towards them. □ [V n] When his lips break into a smile, it is enough to melt any woman's heart. □ [V ] When a bride walks down the aisle to a stirring tune, even the iciest of hearts melt.
▸ melt away
1 PHRASAL VERB If a crowd of people melts away , members of the crowd gradually leave until there is no-one left. □ [V P ] The crowd around the bench began to melt away.
2 → see also melt 2
▸ melt down PHRASAL VERB If an object is melted down , it is heated until it melts, so that the material can be used to make something else. □ [be V -ed P ] Some of the guns were melted down and used to help build a statue. □ [V n P ] When Jefferson didn't like a pair of goblets given to him as a gift, he asked a local smith to melt them down. □ [V P n] Some thieves do not even bother to melt down stolen silver for its scrap value.
melt|down /me ltdaʊn/ (meltdowns )
1 N‑VAR If there is meltdown in a nuclear reactor, the fuel rods start melting because of a failure in the system, and radiation starts to escape. □ Emergency cooling systems could fail and a reactor meltdown could occur.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The meltdown of a company, organization, or system is its sudden and complete failure. [JOURNALISM ] □ Urgent action is needed to prevent the market going into financial meltdown.
me lt|ing point (melting points ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it melts when you heat it.
me lt|ing pot (melting pots )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A melting pot is a place or situation in which people or ideas of different kinds gradually get mixed together. □ The republic is a melting pot of different nationalities.
2 PHRASE If something is in the melting pot , you do not know what is going to happen to it. [mainly BRIT ] □ Their fate is still in the melting-pot.
mem|ber ◆◆◆ /me mbə r / (members )
1 N‑COUNT A member of a group is one of the people, animals, or things belonging to that group. □ [+ of ] He refused to name the members of staff involved. □ [+ of ] Their lack of training could put members of the public at risk.
2 N‑COUNT A member of an organization such as a club or a political party is a person who has officially joined the organization. □ The support of our members is of great importance to the Association. □ [+ of ] Britain is a full member of NATO.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A member country or member state is one of the countries that has joined an international organization or group. □ …the 13 member countries of Opec.
4 N‑COUNT A member or Member is a person who has been elected to a parliament or legislature. □ [+ for ] He was elected to Parliament as the Member for Leeds.
Me m|ber of Co n|gress (Members of Congress ) N‑COUNT A Member of Congress is a person who has been elected to the United States Congress.
Me m|ber of Pa r|lia|ment (Members of Parliament ) N‑COUNT A Member of Parliament is a person who has been elected by the people in a particular area to represent them in a country's parliament. The abbreviation MP is often used.