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libretto

 - 3 dictionary results

li⋅bret⋅to

[li-bret-oh]
–noun, plural -bret⋅tos, -bret⋅ti [-bret-ee] .
1. the text or words of an opera or similar extended musical composition.
2. a book or booklet containing such a text.

Origin:
1735–45; < It, dim of libro book < L liber; see -et
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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li·bret·to   (lĭ-brět'ō)   
n.   pl. li·bret·tos or li·bret·ti (-brět'ē)
  1. The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera.

  2. A book containing such a text.


[Italian, diminutive of libro, book, from Latin liber, libr-.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

libretto

text of an opera, operetta, or other kind of musical theatre. It is also used, less commonly, for a musical work not intended for the stage. A libretto may be in verse or in prose; it may be specially designed for a particular composer, or it may provide raw material for several; it may be wholly original or an adaptation of an existing play or novel.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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