legato
[ luh-gah-toh; Italian le-gah-taw ]
/ ləˈgɑ toʊ; Italian lɛˈgɑ tɔ /
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adjective, adverb Music.
smooth and connected; without breaks between the successive tones.
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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Compare staccato.
Origin of legato
1805–15; <Italian, past participle of legare<Latin ligāre to bind
OTHER WORDS FROM legato
non·le·ga·to, adjectiveWords nearby legato
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for legato
British Dictionary definitions for legato
legato
/ (lɪˈɡɑːtəʊ) music /
adjective, adverb
to be performed smoothly and connectedly
noun plural -tos
- a style of playing in which no perceptible gaps are left between notes
- (as modifier)a legato passage
Word Origin for legato
C19: from Italian, literally: bound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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