A.limb, in early writers always in pl., Il.7.131, Pi.N. 1.47, etc. (κατὰ μέλος is corrupt for κατὰ μέρος in h.Merc.419); μελέων ἔντοσθε within my bodily frame, A.Pers.991 (lyr.), cf. Eu.265 (lyr.); κατὰ μέλη (-εα) limb by limb, like μελεϊστί, Pi.O.1.49, Hdt.1.119; “τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη καὶ μέρη” Pl.Lg.795e; μέλη ποιεῖν dismember, LXX 2 Ma.1.16: later in sg., AP9.141, Gal.UP12.3,al.; “ἡ κατὰ μέλος τομή” Str.2.1.30.
B. esp. musical member, phrase: hence, song, strain, first in h.Hom.19.16 (pl.), of the nightingale (the Hom. word being μολπή), cf. Thgn.761, etc.; “μέλη βοῶν ἄναυλα” S.Fr.699; esp. of lyric poetry, “τὸ Ἀρχιλόχου μ.” Pi.O.9.1; ἐν μέλεϊ ποιέειν to write in lyric strain, Hdt.5.95, cf. 2.135; “ἐν μέλει ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ μέτρῳ” Pl.R.607d, cf. D.H. Comp.11; “Ἀδμήτου μ.” Cratin.236; μέλη, τά, lyric poetry, choral songs, opp. Epic or Dramatic verse, Pl.R.379a, 607a, al.; [μ.] ἐκ τριῶν συγκείμενον, λόγου τε καὶ ἁρμονίας καὶ ῥυθμοῦ ib.398d.
2. music to which a song is set, tune, Arist.Po.1450a14; opp. ῥυθμός, μέτρον, Pl.Grg. 502c; opp. ῥυθμός, ῥῆμα, Id.Lg.656c; Κρητικόν, Καρικόν, Ἰωνικὸν μ., Cratin.222, Pl.Com.69.12,14: metaph., ἐν μέλει properly, correctly, “ἐν μ. φθέγγεσθαι” Pl.Sph.227d; παρὰ μέλος incorrectly, inopportunely, “πὰρ μ. ἔρχομαι” Pi.N.7.69; “παρὰ μ. φθέγξασθαι” Pl.Phlb.28b, Lg.696d; “παρὰ μέλος λαμπρύνεσθαι” Arist.EN1123a22, cf. EE1233a39.
3. melody of an instrument, “φόρμιγξ δ᾽ αὖ φθέγγοιθ᾽ ἱερὸν μ. ἠδὲ καὶ αὐλός” Thgn.761; “αὐλῶν πάμφωνον μ.” Pi.P.12.19; “πηκτίδων μέλη” S.Fr.241: generally, tone, “μ. βοῆς” E.El.756. [In h.Merc.502 θεὸς δ᾽ ὑπὸ καλὸν ἄεισεν must be read for θεὸς δ᾽ ὑπὸ μέλος ἄεισεν, and Ἕλλησιν δ᾽ ᾁδων μέλεα καὶ ἐλέγους is corrupt in Epigr. ap. Paus.10.7.6.]