mezzo

[ met-soh, med-zoh, mez-oh ]

/ ˈmɛt soʊ, ˈmɛd zoʊ, ˈmɛz oʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mezzo ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

middle; medium; half.

noun, plural mez·zos.

a mezzo-soprano.

Nearby words

mezlocillin, mezuzah, mezza voce, mezzaluna, mezzanine, mezzo, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, mezzo soprano, mezzo-relievo, mezzo-soprano

Origin of mezzo

1805–15; < Italian < Latin medius middle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mezzo

I had congratulated him upon arriving at what Dante calls the "mezzo cammin" of life, the age of thirty-three.
Life of Lord Byron, Vol. IV|Thomas Moore
At the word "Mezzo," a gentle, but involuntary laugh escaped from Lady Dora.
Miles Tremenhere, Vol 2 of 2|Annette Marie Maillard
The mezzo termine can only be maintained by armed force—in fact, by conquest!
Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino v.1/3, 1831-1835|Dorothy Duchesse de Dino
Why should not the child form a concept of forte and piano, and so get away from the deadly monotony of mezzo?
Piano Mastery|Harriette Brower

An iron grille round a side altar bears the Visconti arms, which are also those of Mezzo.
The Shores of the Adriatic|F. Hamilton Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for mezzo

mezzo

/ (ˈmɛtsəʊ) music /

adverb

moderately; quitemezzo forte; mezzo piano

noun plural -zos

See mezzo-soprano (def. 1)

Word Origin for mezzo

C19: from Italian, literally: half, from Latin medius middle

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