ser·e·nade / ˌserəˈnād/ • n. a piece of music sung or played in the open air, typically by a man at night under the window of his lover. ∎ another term for serenata.• v. [tr.] entertain (someone) with a serenade: a strolling guitarist serenades the diners.DERIVATIVES: ser·e·nad·er n.

serenade (Fr.). Evening music. Properly, open-air evening mus. (opposite of aubade) such as song by lover outside beloved's window (as by Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera), but a term extended to other meanings. The instr. serenade was developed towards the end of 18th cent. as type of work similar to cassation and divertimento, particularly by Mozart (e.g. his Eine kleine Nachtmusik). It was scored for small ens. and sometimes for wind instr. alone, and written in several movts. (midway between sym. and suite). Beethoven's serenades were chamber works. Other fine examples are those by Brahms, Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, and Strauss. In Ger., Nachtmusik implies the instr. form and Ständchen the vocal.

serenade music performed at night in the open air, esp. by a lover. XVII. — F. sérénade — It. serenata, f. sereno SERENE, in sense infl. by sera evening; see -ADE.
Hence vb. XVII.