mezzo

[ met-soh, med-zoh, mez-oh ]

adjective

1. middle; medium; half.

noun

, plural mez·zos.

1. a mezzo-soprano.

mezzo

/ ˈmɛtsəʊ /

adverb

1. moderately; quite

   mezzo forte

   mezzo piano

noun

1. See mezzo-soprano

Word History and Origins

Origin of mezzo¹

1805–15; < Italian < Latin medius middle

Word History and Origins

Origin of mezzo¹

C19: from Italian, literally: half, from Latin medius middle

Example Sentences

That might have been the end of it, as she was soon hired by the Light Opera of Manhattan as a mezzo soprano.

From New York Times

O’Connor, a multi-octave mezzo soprano of extraordinary emotional range who was recognizable by her shaved head, began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame.

From Seattle Times

The mezzo J’Nai Bridges publicly shared her decision to freeze her eggs at a time in her career when she is a sought-after Carmen — a notably physical role.

From New York Times

She enrolled in her school choir and, with the help of a benefactor, took voice lessons as a teenager with Lucia Anghel, a former mezzo-soprano who told Virginia that she was also a mezzo.

From New York Times

This was Nézet-Séguin the extrovert, who deploys the orchestra in the opera house like an instrument of fate, keeping the baseline volume at mezzo forte.

From New York Times

Related Words

• halfway