segue
UK[ˈseɡweɪ]US[ˈseɡweɪ]
v
to move smoothly from one song, subject, place, or activity to another
n
a smooth transition from one thing to another
Etymology
the word 'segue' is a direct loanword from italian, where it is the third person singular present indicative of the verb 'seguire', meaning 'to follow'. this italian verb itself descends from latin 'sequi', also meaning 'to follow'. the latin root is traceable to the proto-indo-european root sekw- (to follow). the musical sense of moving without interruption from one piece to another was established in italian before being adopted into english in the mid-18th century. its meaning later broadened to encompass any smooth transition between topics or activities, preserving the core concept of one thing following another seamlessly.
Analysis
the word is a direct borrowing from italian and is treated as a single, unsegmentable unit in english.
Examples
the dj managed to segue perfectly from the upbeat dance track into a slow ballad.
the speaker concluded her point and used a historical anecdote to segue into the next topic.
the film's narrative has an awkward segue from the main plot to a lengthy flashback.