capotasto

noun

ca·​po·​ta·​sto

ˌkäpōˈtä(ˌ)stō

plural capotastos

-(ˌ)stōz

or capitasti

ˌkäpēˈtä(ˌ)stē

: a bar or movable nut attached to the fingerboard of a guitar or other fretted instrument to uniformly raise the pitch of all the strings

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, chief key, from capo head, chief (from Latin caput head) + tasto key of a musical instrument, from tastare to feel, touch, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin tastare

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