μέλος, εος, τό,
limb, in early writers always in plural, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 7.131, 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “N.” 1.47, etc. (κατὰ μέλος is corrupt for κατὰ μέρος in “hymnus ad Mercurium” 419)] Refs 8th c.BC+]; μελέων ἔντοσθε within my bodily frame, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 991 (Lyric poetry), compare “Eu.” 265 (Lyric poetry)] Refs 4th c.BC+]; κατὰ μέλη (-εα) limb by limb, like{μελεϊστί}, [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 1.49, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.119; τὰ τοῦ σώματος μέλη καὶ μέρη 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Leges” 795e ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέλη ποιεῖν dismember, [[ LXX.2Mac.1.16 ] LXX]: later in singular, [[“Anthologia Graeca” 9.141, 2nd c.AD: Galenus Medicus “de Usu Partium” 12.3, +others; ἡ κατὰ μέλος τομή 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 2.1.30. ] Refs 1st c.BC+]
__2 metaphorically, ἐσμὲν.. ἀλλήλων μέλη [[ NT.Rom.12.5, cf. NT.1Cor.6.15. ] NT]
__3 features, form, οὐκέτ᾽ ἐγὼ.. γονέων μ. ὄψομαι [[ “BMus.Inscription” 1077 (from Sudan). ] Refs]
__B especially musical member, phrase: hence, song, strain, first in [[ “Hymni Homerici” 19.16 (_plural_)] Refs], of the nightingale (the [[ 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus word being μολπή),compare 6th c.BC: Theognis Elegiacus 761, etc.; μέλη βοῶν ἄναυλα 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Fragmenta” 699 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially of lyric poetry, τὸ Ἀρχιλόχου μ. [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 9.1 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν μέλεϊ ποιέειν to write in lyric strain, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 5.95, compare 2.135; ἐν μέλει ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ μέτρῳ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 607d, compare 1st c.BC: Dionysius Halicarnassensis “de Compositione Verborum” 11; Ἀδμήτου μ. 5th c.BC: Cratinus Comicus 236 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέλη, τά, lyric poetry, choral songs, opposed to Epic or Dramatic verse, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 379a, 607a, +others; [μ.] ἐκ τριῶν συγκείμενον, λόγου τε καὶ ἁρμονίας καὶ ῥυθμοῦ [prev. work] 398d. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]