spiccato

[ spi-kah-toh; Italian speek-kah-taw ]

adjective
  1. (of violin music) performed with short, abrupt, rebounding motions of the bow.

Origin of spiccato

1
1840–50; <Italian, equivalent to spicc- (stem of spiccare to detach) + -ato<Latin -ātus-ate1

Words Nearby spiccato

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

How to use spiccato in a sentence

  • spiccato is generally held to be more difficult than staccato; yet I myself find it easier.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • And in a technical way spiccato bowing, which many find so hard, has always been easy to me.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • In light spiccato and staccato the detached notes should be played always with a single stroke of the bow.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • In a very broad spiccato, the arm may be brought into play; but otherwise not, since it makes rapid playing impossible.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • He cannot play spiccato or any of the 'bouncing' bowings, including various forms of arpeggios, with a poor stick.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens

British Dictionary definitions for spiccato

spiccato

/ (spɪˈkɑːtəʊ) music /


noun
  1. a style of playing a bowed stringed instrument in which the bow bounces lightly off the strings

adjective, adverb
  1. to be played in this manner

Origin of spiccato

1
Italian: detached, from spiccare to make distinct

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