vibrato

[ vi-brah-toh, vahy- ]
See synonyms for vibrato on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural vi·bra·tos.Music.
  1. a pulsating effect, produced in singing by the rapid reiteration of emphasis on a tone, and on bowed instruments by a rapid change of pitch corresponding to the vocal tremolo.

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Origin of vibrato

1
1860–65; <Italian <Latin vibrātus (past participle); see vibrate

Words Nearby vibrato

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vibrato in a sentence

  • At the same time the vibrato used to excess is quite as bad as an excessive tremulando in the voice.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • One need only listen to Ysaye, Elman, Kreisler: artists such as these employ the quick, intense vibrato with ideal effect.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens
  • There must be an inner, emotional instinct, an electric spark within the player himself that sets the vibrato current in motion.

    Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens

British Dictionary definitions for vibrato

vibrato

/ (vɪˈbrɑːtəʊ) /


nounplural -tos music
  1. a slight, rapid, and regular fluctuation in the pitch of a note produced on a stringed instrument by a shaking movement of the hand stopping the strings

  2. an oscillatory effect produced in singing by fluctuation in breath pressure or pitch

Origin of vibrato

1
C19: from Italian, from Latin vibrāre to vibrate

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