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

Sereni, who recited cantos from Dante in Italian to calm his nerves, was offered a British alias for the parachuting mission.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’d heard about witches who had things they called books of cantos and wizards with books of spells, but nothing about enchanted books.

From Literature

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

Later observers, such as the opera critic Henry Pleasants, have noted the bel canto qualities of his singing.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal