ssacre_, nor so coldly brutal as _butchery_, but is more
widely spread and furious; it is destruction let loose, and may be
applied to organizations, interests, etc., as well as to human life; "as
for Saul, he made _havoc_ of the church," _Acts_ viii, 3. _Carnage_
(Latin _caro, carnis_, flesh) refers to widely scattered or heaped up
corpses of the slain; _slaughter_ is similar in meaning, but refers more
to the process, as _carnage_ does to the result; these two words only of
the group may be used of great destruction of life in open and honorable
battle, as when we say the enemy was repulsed with great _slaughter_, or
the _carnage_ was terrible.

* * * * *

MEDDLESOME.

Synonyms:

impertinent, intrusive, meddling, obtrusive, officious.

The _meddlesome_ person interferes unasked in the affairs of others; the
_intrusive_ person thrusts himself uninvited into their company or
conversation; the _obtrusive_ person thrusts himself or his opinions
conceitedly and undesirably upon their notice; the _officious_ person
thrusts his services, unasked and undesired, upon others. _Obtrusive_ is
oftener applied to words, qualities, actions, etc., than to persons;
_intrusive_ is used chiefly of persons, as is _officious_, tho we speak
of _officious_ attentions, _intrusive_ remarks; _meddlesome_ is used
indifferently of persons, or of words, qualities, actions, etc. Compare
INQUISITIVE; INTERPOSE.

Antonyms:

modest, reserved, retiring, shy, unassuming, unobtrusive.

* * * * *

MELODY.

Synonyms:

harmony, music, symphony, unison.

_Harmony_ is simultaneous; _melody_ is successive; _harmony_ is the
pleasing correspondence of two or more notes sounded at once, _melody_
the pleasing succession of a number of notes continuously following one
another. A _melody_ may be wholly in one part; _harmony_ must be of two
or more parts. Accordant notes of different pitch sounded simultaneously
produce _harmony_; _unison_ is the simultaneous sounding of two or more
notes of the same pitch. When the pitch is the same, there may be
_unison_ between sounds of very different volume and quality, as a voice
and a bell may sound in _unison_. Tones sounded at the interval of an
octave are also said to be in _unison_, altho this is not literally
exact; this usage arises from the fact that bass and tenor voices in
attempting to sound the same note as the sopran