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In medieval times, a person could officially become a vassal of a king or lord by publicly announcing allegiance to him in a formal ceremony. In that ritual, known as homage (from the Latin root homo-, meaning “man”), the subject (who was usually but not always a man) knelt and placed his hands between those of his lord, symbolically surrendering himself and putting himself at the lord’s disposal and under his jurisdiction. A bond was thus forged between the two; the vassal’s part was to revere and serve his lord, and the lord’s role was to protect and provide for the vassal and his family. The symbolism attached to the word proved irresistible, and homage quickly broadened to apply with the meaning “respect or honor” in a variety of contexts. Today, a singer can pay homage to someone who influenced their career, and a recipe can be an homage to a chef’s hometown.
Synonyms
Examples of homage in a Sentence
Jessica Wang, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024
In one carousel post shared to Instagram, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum appeared entirely naked as an homage to Demi Moore's 1996 movie Striptease, mimicking the actor's iconic pose for the film's theatrical poster while donning a matching black wig.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
His middle name is a homage to the Atlanta Braves’ former field where Freddie played for the majority of his career.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
As a bonus, the backstory sequence gave Tim Burton a chance to film a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice scene in black and white and Danny Elfman to score it in somewhat an homage to the classic movies in the Universal Monsters universe.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Homage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homage. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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homage
noun
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