and die in music

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Othello, v, 2. In. the Merchant of Venice, (iii, 2) Portia says — He makes a swan-like end, Fading in music.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “and die in music” mean?

Othello, v, 2. In. the Merchant of Venice, (iii, 2) Portia says — He makes a swan-like end, Fading in music.

Is “and die in music” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.