fermata

[ fer-mah-tuh; Italian fer-mah-tah ]

noun,plural fer·ma·tas, Italian fer·ma·te

[fer-mah-te]. /fɛrˈmɑ tɛ/. Music.

the sustaining of a note, chord, or rest for a duration longer than the indicated time value, with the length of the extension at the performer's discretion.
a symbol  placed over a note, chord, or rest indicating a fermata.

Origin of fermata

1875–80; <Italian: stop, pause, noun use of feminine of past participle of fermare to stop <Latin firmāre to make firm. See firm¹, -ate¹

Words Nearby fermata

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

How to use fermata in a sentence

He bounced around between bands for a while before joining a band named fermata as a bassist.
‘Free Willy’ Turns 20: Catching Up With Star Jason James Richter | Kevin Fallon | July 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Dr. Deiters thought that Ries confounded the last with the first movement, in which the clarinet enters after a fermata.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3) | Alexander Wheelock Thayer
A fermata in the middle of a movement does not constitute a break, neither need it at the end.
The Pianoforte Sonata | J.S. Shedlock
In the case of a hold (fermata), the movement for the cut-off depends upon the nature of what follows.
Essentials in Conducting | Karl Wilson Gehrkens

British Dictionary definitions for fermata

fermata

/ (fəˈmɑːtə) /

nounplural -tas or -te (-tɪ)

music another word for pause (def. 5)

Origin of fermata

from Italian, from fermare to stop, from Latin firmāre to establish; see firm 1

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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