staccato

views updated

stac·ca·to / stəˈkätō/ chiefly Mus. • adv. & adj. with each sound or note sharply detached or separated from the others: [as adj.] a staccato rhythm. Compare with legato, marcato.• n. (pl. -tos) performance in this manner. ∎  a noise or speech resembling a series of short, detached musical notes: her heels made a rapid staccato on the polished boards.

More From encyclopedia.com