staccato
Use Staccato in a sentence
toʊ adjective
1.
shortened and detached when played or sung: staccato notes.
2.
3.
composed of or characterized by abruptly disconnected elements; disjointed: rapid-fire, staccato speech.
adverb
4.
in a staccato manner.
noun
5.
performance in a staccato manner.
6.
a staccato passage.
Origin:
1715–25; < Italian: disconnected, past participle of staccare (derivative of stacca pole < Gothic, but taken as a variant of distaccare to detach)
1715–25; < Italian: disconnected, past participle of staccare (derivative of stacca pole < Gothic, but taken as a variant of distaccare to detach)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To staccato
00:10
Staccato
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
staccato (stəˈkɑːtəʊ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | music (of notes) short, clipped, and separate |
| 2. | characterized by short abrupt sounds, as in speech: a staccato command |
| —adv | |
| 3. | (esp used as a musical direction) in a staccato manner |
| [C18: from Italian, from staccare to detach, shortened from distaccare] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
staccato
1724, from It. staccato, lit. "detached, disconnected," from pp. of staccare "to detach," shortened form of distaccare "separate, detach," from M.Fr. destacher, from O.Fr. destachier "to detach" (see detach).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
staccato [(stuh-kah-toh)]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.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The woodpecker moves from tree to tree in search of insects, drumming a staccato beat on the tall trees' trunks.
We investigated the effect of legato and staccato articulation styles on the perception of modulated tempos.
We see a group of three, their round, discus-style dorsal fins splitting the water in a staccato pace.
When operating, it produces a distinctive staccato sound.
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