scordatura

[ skawr-duh-toor-uh; Italian skawr-dah-too-rah ]

noun

, Music.

, plural scor·da·tu·re [skawr-d, uh, -, toor, -ey, skaw, r, -dah-, too, -, r, e], scor·da·tu·ras.

1. the tuning of a stringed instrument in other than the usual way to facilitate the playing of certain compositions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scordatura¹

First recorded in 1875–80; from Italian, equivalent to scordat(o), past participle of scordare “to be out of tune” (from Latin discordāre; discord ) + -ura noun suffix