canto

American  

[kan-toh] / ˈkæn toʊ /

noun

plural

cantos

1. one of the main or larger divisions of a long poem.

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canto British  

/ ˈkæntəʊ /

noun

1. music another word for cantus

2. a main division of a long poem

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Etymology

Origin of canto

1580–90; < Italian < Latin cant ( us ) singing, song, equivalent to can ( ere ) to sing + -tus suffix of v. action; cant ¹, chant

Example Sentences

The challenges of those two roles are one reason that the piece is less commonly performed than other bel canto operas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The score calls for a large cast with serious bel canto skills, and Opera Philadelphia’s lineup delivered.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025

Born in New York in December 1923 to Greek parents, Callas was credited with reviving almost single-handedly the Italian bel canto vocal technique.

From Reuters • Nov. 9, 2023

Teatro Nuovo, the brainchild of the bel canto specialist Will Crutchfield, inverts that value system.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

Penelope could tell this by the way the children hung on her every word and demanded “More, more!” each time she reached the end of a canto and tried to stop.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood