martellato

American

[mahr-tl-ah-toh, mahr-tel-lah-taw] / ˌmɑr tlˈɑ toʊ, ˌmɑr tɛlˈlɑ tɔ /

adjective

(of notes or chords in a musical score) heavily accented and detached.

martellato British

/ ˌmɑːtəˈlɑːtəʊ /

noun

(in string playing) the practice of bowing the string with a succession of short sharp blows

"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 martellato

1875–80; < Italian: hammered, past participle of martellare. See martel, -ate ¹

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.

Delsarte had a marked prejudice in favor of the martellato, which partakes of both.

From Delsarte System of Oratory by Various

The martellato, a nuance of spiccato, should be played with a firm bowing at the point.

From Violin Mastery Talks with Master Violinists and Teachers by Martens, Frederick Herman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023