a tempo

[ ah-tem-poh; Italian ah-tem-paw ]

adverbMusic.
  1. resuming the speed obtained preceding ritardando or accelerando.

Origin of a tempo

1
1730–40; <Italian: in (the regular) time

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for a tempo

a tempo

/ (ɑː ˈtɛmpəʊ) music /


adjective, adverb
  1. to the original tempo

noun
  1. a passage thus marked

Origin of a tempo

1
Italian: in (the original) time
  • Also: tempo primo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012