[stuh-kah-toh] 
adjective, adverb, noun, plural -tos, -ti [-tee] .| 1. | shortened and detached when played or sung: staccato notes. |
| 2. | characterized by performance in which the notes are abruptly disconnected: a staccato style of playing. Compare legato. |
| 3. | composed of or characterized by abruptly disconnected elements; disjointed: rapid-fire, staccato speech. |
| 4. | in a staccato manner. |
| 5. | performance in a staccato manner. |
| 6. | a staccato passage. |
| stac·ca·to (stə-kä'tō) adj.
A staccato manner or sound. [Italian, past participle of staccare, to detach, short for distaccare, from obsolete French destacher, from Old French destachier; see detach.] stac·ca'to adv. |
A direction in music meaning that the notes should be performed in an abrupt, sharp, clear-cut manner.
Note: The term staccato has been applied generally to things that occur in rapid bursts, such as gunfire.