cantilena

[ kan-tl-ee-nuh ]

/ ˌkæn tlˈi nə /

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noun

a simple, lyric, melodic passage for voice or instrument.

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Origin of cantilena

1730–40; <Italian <Latin cantilēna refrain, perhaps by dissimilation from *cantilēla, derivative of cantus song; see cant¹

Words nearby cantilena

canthus, canticle, Canticle of Canticles, canticum, Cantigny, cantilena, cantilever, cantilever bridge, cantilever foundation, cantillate, cantillation

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

How to use cantilena in a sentence

A similar freely riming poem in lines of seven syllables is Villegas' Cantilena (p. 17).
Modern Spanish Lyrics|Various
The term cantilena is given to any short piece of verse intended to be set to music (p. 17).
Modern Spanish Lyrics|Various
Almost any really good melodic line, especially a cantilena, will sound with a fitting harmonic development.
Violin Mastery|Frederick H. Martens
The successors of these supple singers even learned to sing Richard Strauss with broad cantilena effects.
The Merry-Go-Round|Carl Van Vechten

The accent here too is perfectly pleasing, intelligible, and expressive; and I like their cantilena vastly.
Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey through France, Italy, and Germany, Vol. I|Hester Lynch Piozzi

British Dictionary definitions for cantilena

cantilena

/ (ˌkæntɪˈleɪnə) /

noun

a smooth flowing style in the writing of vocal music

Word Origin for cantilena

C18: Italian, from Latin cantilēna a song

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