rəuˈmæns n.,
adj., & v. --n.
also disp. 1 an
atmosphere or
tendency characterized by a
sense of remoteness
from or idealization of
everyday life. 2 a a prevailing sense of
wonder or mystery surrounding
the mutual attraction in a
love affair. b
sentimental or idealized love. c a love affair. 3 a a
literary genre with romantic love or
highly imaginative unrealistic episodes forming the
central theme. b a
work of
this genre. 4 a
medieval tale, usu. in
verse, of
some hero of
chivalry, of the kind
common in the Romance languages. 5 a exaggeration or
picturesque falsehood. b an
instance of this. 6 (Romance) the languages descended from
Latin regarded collectively. 7 Mus. a
short informal piece. --adj. (Romance) of
any of the languages descended from Latin (French,
Italian,
Spanish, etc.). --v. 1 intr.
exaggerate or
distort the
truth,
esp. fantastically. 2 tr.
court,
woo. [ME f. OF romanz, -ans,
-ance, ult. f. L Romanicus ROMANIC]