Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

fioritura

American  
[fee-awr-i-toor-uh, -ohr-, fyaw-ree-too-rah] / fiˌɔr ɪˈtʊər ə, -ˌoʊr-, ˌfyɔ riˈtu rɑ /

noun

Music.

plural

fioriture
  1. the ornamentation of a melody, often extemporized by the performer, as in Italian opera during the 18th century.


fioritura British  
/ ˌfiːərɪ-, ˌfjɔːrɪˈtʊərə /

noun

  1. music embellishment, esp ornamentation added by the performer

"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

Etymology

Origin of fioritura

1835–45; < Italian, equivalent to fiorit ( o ) flowery, originally past participle of fiorire to flower + -ura -ure

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the high, falsetto fioritura of the singers is difficult to take at the start, even if it is the Chinese ideal of good singing.

From Time Magazine Archive

The only reason to pluck it from obscurity now is to afford a singing actress like Sills the dual opportunity to make life look difficult and bel canto fioritura easy.

From Time Magazine Archive

I thought of the Duke of Aosta's latest message to the undefeated Third Army: "A voi veterani del Carso, ed a voi, giovani soldati, fioritura della perenne primavera italica."

From With British Guns in Italy A Tribute to Italian Achievement by Dalton, Hugh Dalton, Baron

When he reached the highest point of ecstasy, emitting from this throat some complicated fioritura, or fermata, a horrisonant bellowing broke in upon him pitilessly, leaving him lost and inundated for a long time.

From The Marquis of Pe?alta (Marta y Mar?a) A Realistic Social Novel by Palacio Vald?s, Armando

Their songs were low and musical, not unlike the song of the canary, though there were no cadenzas or fioritura passages.

From The Dawn of Reason or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals by Weir, James