Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SER-E-NADE, n. [Fr. from It. and Sp. serenata, from L. serenus, clear, serene.]

1. Properly, music performed in a clear night; hence, an entertainment of music given in the night by a lover to his mistress under her window. It consists generally of instrumental music, but that of the voice is sometimes added. The songs composed for these occasions are also called serenades. – Encyc.
2. Music performed in the streets during the stillness of the night; as, a midnight serenade. Addison.