Riffage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A section of music characterized by repeated melodic phrases or riffs
2. A part of a song that prominently showcases riffs or repeated instrumental patterns
3. A musical segment consisting of recurring, catchy notes or motifs typically played on guitar or similar instruments

Etymology: "Riffage" is a plain formation: the noun "riff" with the suffix "-age" attached. "Riff" itself came into English as a term for a repeated melodic phrase, a short pattern played over and over, and the suffix turns that noun into a name for a whole passage built from such patterns. The suffix has a long ancestry. It descends through Latin endings like "-aticum" and passed into Old French as "-age," which English borrowed in Middle English. Over the centuries the ending came to mark collective nouns and actions, as in "baggage," "plumage," and "frontage," so "riffage" follows a familiar English pattern.

Synonyms: riff, lick