all' ottava

[ ahluh-tah-vuh; Italian ahl-lawt-tah-vah ]

/ ˌɑl əˈtɑ və; Italian ˌɑl lɔtˈtɑ vɑ /

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noun Music.

a direction (8va), placed above or below the staff to indicate that the passage covered is to be played one octave higher or lower respectively.

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Origin of all' ottava

1815–25; <Italian: literally, at the octave

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use all' ottava in a sentence

But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical|Stereo Williams|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The benefits of incumbency are quite potent, especially in the all-important area of raising campaign funds.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The building used to be an all-girls school, and when it was initially purchased by Fortune it was dilapidated.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This led to the formation of a Christian militant group to counter the rebels, and all-out sectarian violence exploded.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In that context, Sotto Sotto was one of the all-out survivors.
The Fiery Death of Sotto Sotto, Toronto’s Celebrity Hotspot|Shinan Govani|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He had discovered that the all-glorious boast of Spain was not exempt from the infirmities of common men.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Naturally the conversation fell on the all-absorbing topic of the day and the object of his mission.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
English influence was all-powerful at Lisbon and the new envoy had not the talent to counteract it.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Could the government of the country be now carried on upon principles that were all-powerful twenty—or even fewer—years ago?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
From Leamington to London was nearly an all-day's run, although the distance is only one hundred miles.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for all' ottava

all'ottava

/ (æləˈtɑːvə) /

adjective, adverb

music to be played an octave higher or lower than writtenSymbol: 8va

Word Origin for all'ottava

Italian: at the octave

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