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postlude • POHST-lood • noun

*1 : a closing piece of music; especially : an organ voluntary at the end of a church service

2 : a closing phase (as of an epoch or a literary work)

Example Sentence:
As the organist played the postlude, the worshipers began to file out of the church.

Did you know?
"Postlude" is the lesser-known counterpart to "prelude" -- and in fact, "postlude" was created based on the example of "prelude," substituting "post-" for "pre-." At the root of both terms is the Latin verb "ludere" ("to play"), and a postlude is essentially "something played afterward." Although "prelude" first appeared in print in the 16th century, "postlude" didn't turn up until 1851. "Prelude" was first used in the general sense of "something preliminary" and only later acquired its musical application, while "postlude" developed in the opposite direction, originating as a musical term before broadening to include other kinds of closings. Both words are also related to "interlude," which can refer, among other things, to a musical composition inserted between the parts of a larger whole.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Quaa·lude (kwld)
A trademark used for the drug methaqualone.
Word History: The trademark Quaalude for the sedative and hypnotic agent methaqualone is an example of how a product name is carefully chosen for a positive public response. Methaqualone was developed in the 1960s by William H. Rorer, Inc. At that time, the company's best-known product was Maalox, a digestive aid that derived its name from its ingredients, magnesium and aluminum hydroxides. To enhance the product recognition of their new sedative drug, the company incorporated the aa of Maalox into the name Quaalude. The other elements of the name are presumed to be a contraction of the phrase quiet interlude, a soothing, even poetic description of the drug's effect.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Quaalude