This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
ostinato
[ os-ti-nah-toh; Italian aws-tee-nah-taw ]
/ ˌɒs tɪˈnɑ toʊ; Italian ˌɔs tiˈnɑ tɔ /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural os·ti·na·tos.Music.
a constantly recurring melodic fragment.
QUIZ
TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS
Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”
Question 1 of 7
What does "dignity" mean?
Origin of ostinato
1875–80; <Italian: literally, obstinate <Latin obstinātusobstinate
Words nearby ostinato
osteotribe, osteotrite, Österreich, Ostia, ostiary, ostinato, ostiole, ostitis, ostium, ostium abdominale tubae uterinae, ostium of uterus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use ostinato in a sentence
In my opinion, your Basso ostinato should be written in 3/4 or 6/4 time, but not in 5/4.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste TchaikovskyIt is generally accompanied by doubles or variations, and is invariably written on a ground bass or basso ostinato.
Critical & Historical Essays|Edward MacDowellA constantly repeated bass is called a "basso ostinato," and this is the first example of it.
How Music Developed|W. J. HendersonYou have made just such a mistake in your otherwise beautiful Basso ostinato.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
British Dictionary definitions for ostinato
ostinato
/ (ˌɒstɪˈnɑːtəʊ) /
noun
- a continuously reiterated musical phrase
- (as modifier)an ostinato passage
Word Origin for ostinato
Italian: from Latin obstinātus obstinate
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