altissimo

[ al-tis-uh-moh; Italian ahl-tees-see-maw ]

/ ælˈtɪs əˌmoʊ; Italian ɑlˈtis siˌmɔ /

Music.

adjective

very high.

noun

in altissimo, in the second octave above the treble staff.

Words nearby altissimo

altigraph, altiloquent, altimeter, altimetry, altiplano, altissimo, altitude, altitude chamber, altitude dial, altitude sickness, altitudinal

Origin of altissimo

1810–20; < Italian: literally, highest, equivalent to alt(o) high + -issimo superlative suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for altissimo

All the rest of the objects were as usual in plano; this was in alto, indeed in altissimo rilievo.
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol 4|Charles Dudley Warner
The rapidity of his execution, and the mellow sweetness of his altissimo notes, were unequalled.
The Violin|George Dubourg

British Dictionary definitions for altissimo

altissimo

/ (ælˈtɪsɪˌməʊ) /

adjective

(of music) very high in pitch

of or relating to the octave commencing on the G lying an octave above the treble clef

noun

in altissimo in the octave commencing an octave above the treble clef

Word Origin for altissimo

Italian, literally: highest

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