pizzicato

[ pit-si-kah-toh; Italian peet-tsee-kah-taw ]

adjective

1. played by plucking the strings with the finger instead of using the bow, as on a violin.

noun

, plural piz·zi·ca·ti [pit-si-, kah, -tee, peet-tsee-, kah, -tee].

1. a note or passage so played.

pizzicato

/ ˌpɪtsɪˈkɑːtəʊ /

adjective

1. (in music for the violin family) to be plucked with the finger

noun

1. the style or technique of playing a normally bowed stringed instrument in this manner

Word History and Origins

Origin of pizzicato¹

1835–45; < Italian, past participle of pizzicare to pluck, pick, twang (a stringed instrument)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pizzicato¹

C19: from Italian: pinched, from pizzicare to twist, twang

Example Sentences

This process involved many steps, including manipulating the pitch of different datapoints and assigning sections of data to the different instruments, overlaying passages created from different data, and introducing musical playing techniques such as pizzicato and staccato.

From Science Daily

But what follows is not the impish, pizzicato response that usually accompanies the toys’ jolting movements: A drum kit crashes in, and snarling, swinging saxophones accompany Buddy’s commando rolls across the aisle behind a security guard.

From New York Times

At his signal, the strings went off on a pizzicato run, buoyed by harps and congas, before dissolving into a bass drum pulse beneath simmering horns.

From Los Angeles Times

Even as the conductor has offered small suggestions in rehearsals — like proposing a bit of bowed, marcato playing for the strings instead of pizzicato that could get lost in the Met’s grand auditorium — he has also deferred to Blanchard, who he said has been “much more hands on” about fine-tuning the orchestration.

From New York Times

Its dusty pizzicato tremolo had the predawn rustle of someone waking up and shuffling to the kitchen to prepare the morning’s brew before the household had awakened.

From New York Times