Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

fermata

[fer-mah-tuh; It. fer-mah-tah]

Origin

noun, plural fer·ma·tas, Italian fer·ma·te

[-te] . Music.

the sustaining of a note, chord, or rest for a duration longer than the indicated time value, with the length of the extension at the performer's discretion.

a symbol

placed over a note, chord, or rest indicating a fermata.

Origin:
1875–80; < Italian: stop, pause, noun use of feminine of past participle of fermare to stop < Latin firmāre to make firm. See firm¹, -ate¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To fermata

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Fermata is always a great word to know.

So is ort. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

fermata (fəˈmɑːtə)

—n , pl -tas, -te
	music another word for pause

[from Italian, from fermare to stop, from Latin firmāre to establish; see firm¹]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

fermata

1876, musical term, from It., lit. "stop, pause," from fermare "to fasten, to stop," from fermo "strong, fastened," from L. firmus (see firm (adj.)).

Word Dynamo Rating For Fermata

People who can define Fermata may know 8,054 words.

How many words do you know?

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

Related Words

hold

pause

Quote Of The Day

"Good writing is always a breaking of the soil, clearing away prejudices, pulling up of sour weeds of crooked thinking, stripping the turf so as to get at what is fertile beneath. It would be amusing to carry the simile further. Those bulbs that flower in the sand and wither! The gay fiction annual that has to be planted again every year! Those experimental plants from Russia, France, and Greenwich Village that are always getting winter killed—confound 'em!—is it worth while planting them again? The stocky perennial that keeps coming up and coming up—so easy to grow and so ugly. Scarlet sage that gives a touch of fiery sin to the edge of the suburbanite's concrete walk! And then the good flowers—as honest as they are beautiful! The well-ordered gar den! The climbing rose that escapes and is the most beautiful of all!"

-Henry Seidel Canby

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help