Serenader

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who sings or plays music under a loved one's window, typically at night, as a romantic gesture
2. Someone who performs a serenade, an evening song or musical piece offered to a beloved or to honor someone
3. The performer of a serenade, a musician who plays tender songs outdoors at night for a lover or admirer

Etymology: A serenader is simply one who serenades: a person who performs a serenade, traditionally a musical piece played under a lover's window, usually in the evening. The word is built from "serenade" with the agent suffix "-er", the ending that turns a verb or noun into a word for the one doing the action, as in "baker" or "singer". The more interesting story lies in the root. "Serenade" came into English from French "sérénade", which in turn came from Italian "serenata", meaning an evening piece of music, from "sereno", "clear" or "calm", as in the evening air. So the performer is named after the calm, open evening on which the music was played, not after the song itself.

Synonyms: troubadour, minstrel, crooner