mezzo-soprano

[ met-soh-suh-pran-oh, -prah-noh, med-zoh-, mez-oh- ]

/ ˈmɛt soʊ səˈpræn oʊ, -ˈprɑ noʊ, ˈmɛd zoʊ-, ˈmɛz oʊ- /

Music.

noun, plural mez·zo-so·pran·os, mez·zo-so·pran·i [met-soh-suh-pran-ee, -prah-nee, med-zoh-, mez-oh-] /ˈmɛt soʊ səˈpræn i, -ˈprɑ ni, ˈmɛd zoʊ-, ˈmɛz oʊ-/.

a voice or voice part intermediate in compass between soprano and contralto.

a person having such a voice.

adjective

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or suitable to a mezzo-soprano.

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Origin of mezzo-soprano

Borrowed into English from Italian around 1745–55

Words nearby mezzo-soprano

mezzo, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, mezzo soprano, mezzo-relievo, mezzo-soprano, mezzo-soprano clef, mezzotint, meŝtrović, meštrović, mf

Example sentences from the Web for mezzo-soprano

Before taking on the role, Racette talked it over with her wife, mezzo-soprano Beth Clayton.
‘Dolores Claiborne’ Star on Her Sudden New Role|Emily Wilson|September 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Heavier in tone, less resonant, and less flexible than the mezzo-soprano, it is yet lighter than the contralto.
Advice to Singers|Frederick James Crowest
Mezzo-soprano voices vary so much that it is difficult to name any note on which the "break" will be found.
Advice to Singers|Frederick James Crowest
She sings very sweetly with a mezzo-soprano voice that is clear and tender.
Floyd Grandon's Honor|Amanda Minnie Douglas

Both in compass and quality it lies between the contralto and the mezzo-soprano.
Advice to Singers|Frederick James Crowest
Mezzo-soprano (mĕdzo-so-prno); between contralto and soprano; said of the voice of a female singer.
Every-Day Errors of Speech|L. P. Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for mezzo-soprano

mezzo-soprano

noun plural -nos

a female voice intermediate between a soprano and contralto and having a range from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above itSometimes shortened to: mezzo

a singer with such a voice

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