staccato

Meaning

Noun

1. An articulation marking directing that a note or passage of notes are to be played in an abruptly disconnected manner, with each note sounding for a very short duration, and a short break lasting until the sounding of the next note; as opposed to legato. Staccato is indicated by a dot directly above or below the notehead.
2. A passage having this mark.
3. (figuratively) Any sound resembling a musical staccato.

Adv

played in this style

Adj

1. Describing a passage having this mark.
2. Made up of abruptly disconnected parts or sounds.

Synonyms

disconnected

detached

jerky

abrupt

curt

discontinuous

disjointed

drumming

short

tapping

uneven

in staccato

rapidly in succession

brief

brusque

crisp

Translations

staccato

staccato

breu

abgehackt

fein

klein

vorübergehend

Stakkato

Staccato

διακεκομμένος

κοφτός

court

saccadé

sconnesso

Pronounced as (IPA)

/stəˈkɑːtoʊ/

Etymology

Cognate with Old High German: stecko

Cognate with German: Stecken

Cognate with Old Saxon: stekko

Cognate with Old Norse: stakkr

Cognate with Old English: staca

In summary

Borrowed from Italian staccato (“detached, disconnected”), past participle of staccare (“to detach, separate”), aphetic variant of distaccare (“to separate, detach”), from Middle French destacher (“to detach”), from Old French destachier (“to detach”), from des- + atachier (“to attach”), alteration of estachier (“to fasten with or to a stake, lay claim to”), from estache (“a stake”), from Low Frankish *stakkā (“stake”), from Proto-Germanic *stakkaz, *stakô (“stick, stake”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“stick, stake”). Akin to Old High German stecko (“post”) (German Stecken (“stick”)), Old Saxon stekko (“stake”), Old Norse stakkr (“hay stack, heap”), Old English staca (“stake”). More at stake.