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arpeggio

[ ahr-pej-ee-oh, -pej-oh ]
/ ɑrˈpɛdʒ iˌoʊ, -ˈpɛdʒ oʊ /
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noun, plural ar·peg·gi·os.Music.
the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession instead of simultaneously.
a chord thus sounded.
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Also called broken chord.

Origin of arpeggio

1735–45; <Italian: literally, a harping, noun derivative of arpeggi(are) to play on the harp (<Germanic; compare Old English hearpi(g)an to harp)

OTHER WORDS FROM arpeggio

ar·peg·gi·at·ed, ar·peg·gi·oed, adjective

Words nearby arpeggio

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

How to use arpeggio in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for arpeggio

arpeggio
/ (ɑːˈpɛdʒɪəʊ) /

noun plural -gios
a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously
an ascending and descending figuration used in practising the piano, voice, etc

Word Origin for arpeggio

C18: from Italian, from arpeggiare to perform on the harp, from arpa harp
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
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