ritenuto

[ ree-tuh-noo-toh; Italian ree-te-noo-taw ]

adverb, adjective
  1. (of a passage in a musical score) immediately slower.

Origin of ritenuto

1
1820–30; <Italian: literally, held back, past participle of ritenere;see retain

Words Nearby ritenuto

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British Dictionary definitions for ritenuto

ritenuto

/ (ˌrɪtəˈnuːtəʊ) /


adjective, adverbmusic
  1. held back momentarily

  2. another term for rallentando

Origin of ritenuto

1
C19: from Italian, from past participle of ritenere, from Latin retinēre to hold back
  • Abbreviation: rit

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