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contralto

[kuhn-tral-toh]

Origin

Ursula Ferri www.ursulaferri.com/ Contralto Contralto, Soprano, Opera, Concerts

noun

the lowest female voice or voice part, intermediate between soprano and tenor.

the alto, or highest male voice or voice part.

a singer with a contralto voice.

adjective

pertaining to the contralto voice or its compass.

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Contralto is always a great word to know.

So is eighth rest. Does it mean:

sequence of notes or chords indicating completion of a composition, section, phrase

rest equal in time value to an eighth note

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Origin:
1720–30; < Italian, equivalent to contr(a) contra-² + alto alto

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To contralto

Collins

World English Dictionary

contralto (kənˈtræltəʊ, -ˈtrɑːl-)

—n , pl -tos, -ti
1.	In the context of a choir often shortened to: alto the lowest female voice, usually having a range of approximately from F a fifth below middle C to D a ninth above it
2.	a singer with such a voice

—*adj*
3.	of or denoting a contralto: the contralto part

[C18: from Italian; see contra-, alto]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

contralto

1730, from contra- + alto. The part next above the alto.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

contralto [(kuhn-tral-toh)]

The lowest range of the female singing voice; alto.