Word of the Day

: June 20, 2009

staccato

adjective stuh-KAH-toh

What It Means

1 a : cut short or apart in performing : disconnected

b : marked by short clear-cut playing or singing of tones or chords

2 : abrupt, disjointed

staccato in Context

"I could see the bass clearing the water and spread my legs to steady myself in the staccato swells of the rip." (Peter Kaminsky, The New York Times, December 25, 1994)

Did You Know?

English has borrowed a number of words from Italian that instruct on how a piece of music should be played. Examples include "allegro" ("at a brisk lively tempo"), "adagio" ("at a slow tempo"), and "fortissimo" ("very loud"). The instruction "staccato" describes music composed of tones that are short and noncontinuous rather than smoothly flowing together (a style noted by the instruction "legato"). "Staccato" derives from the past participle of the Italian verb "staccare," meaning "to detach," and can now describe anything -- not just sounds - made, done, or happening in an abrupt or disjointed way.