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definitions

rallentando

[ rah-luh n-tahn-doh; Italian rahl-len-tahn-daw ]
/ ˌrɑ lənˈtɑn doʊ; Italian ˌrɑl lɛnˈtɑn dɔ /
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adjective

slackening; becoming slower (used as a musical direction).

Nearby words

  1. rale,
  2. raleigh,
  3. raleigh, sir walter,
  4. ralik chain,
  5. rall.,
  6. ralliform,
  7. ralline,
  8. rally,
  9. rally around,
  10. rally round

Origin of rallentando

1805–15; < Italian, gerund of rallentare to slow down; see lento
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rallentando

  • Teach yourself to make a rallentando evenly by watching the drops of water cease as you turn off a tap.

    Theodor Leschetizky|Annette Hullah

  • Evening has come; there is a twilight tinge to the music; it is "dolce," "expressione," and "rallentando."

    Stars of the Opera|Mabel Wagnalls

  • Or we can gradually increase or decrease our tempo, creating accelerando and rallentando effects.

    Irradiations; Sand and Spray|John Gould Fletcher

  • Such a rallentando effect is like the apparent pause in the rush of a river before it thunders over a precipice.

    Play-Making|William Archer
British Dictionary definitions for rallentando

rallentando

/ (ˌrælɛnˈtændəʊ) /

adjective, adverb

music becoming slowerAbbreviation: rall Also: ritardando, ritenuto

Word Origin for rallentando

C19: Italian, from rallentare to slow down
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