alla breve

[ ah-luh brev-ey; Italian ahl-lah bre-ve ]
/ ˈɑ lə ˈbrɛv eɪ; Italian ˈɑl lɑ ˈbrɛ vɛ /

adverb, adjective Music.

using the half note as the basic time unit; 2/2 time. Symbol:

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DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Also called cut time.
Compare common time.

Origin of alla breve

1800–10; < Italian: in short time, accelerated. See brief

Words nearby alla breve

all-terrain vehicle, all-time, all-weather, all-wheel drive, all-year, alla breve, alla marcia, alla prima, alla vostra salute, allachesthesia, allah
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for alla breve

alla breve
/ (ˈælə ˈbreɪvɪ, Italian ˈalla ˈbrɛːve) /

noun

a musical time signature indicating two or four minims to a bar

adjective, adverb

twice as fast as normal
Usual symbol: Symbol:

Word Origin for alla breve

C19: Italian, literally: (according) to the breve
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