cantilena

[ kan-tl-ee-nuh ]

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

Origin of cantilena

1
1730–40; <Italian <Latin cantilēna refrain, perhaps by dissimilation from *cantilēla, derivative of cantus song; see cant1

Words Nearby cantilena

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

How to use cantilena in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cantilena

cantilena

/ (ˌkæntɪˈleɪnə) /


noun
  1. a smooth flowing style in the writing of vocal music

Origin of cantilena

1
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