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sostenuto

[ sos-tuh-noo-toh, soh-stuh-; Italian saws-te-noo-taw ]
/ ˌsɒs təˈnu toʊ, ˌsoʊ stə-; Italian ˌsɔs tɛˈnu tɔ /
Music.
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adjective
sustained or prolonged in the time value of the tones.
noun, plural sos·te·nu·tos, Italian sos·te·nu·ti [saws-te-noo-tee]. /ˌsɔs tɛˈnu ti/.
a movement or passage played in this manner.
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Origin of sostenuto

1715–25; <Italian, past participle of sostenere;see sustain

Words nearby sostenuto

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sostenuto in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sostenuto

sostenuto
/ (ˌsɒstəˈnuːtəʊ) /

adjective, adverb
music (preceded by a tempo marking) to be performed in a smooth sustained manner

Word Origin for sostenuto

C18: from Italian, from sostenere to sustain, from Latin sustinēre to uphold
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
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