staccato
adjective
stac·ca·to
| \ stə-ˈkä-(ˌ)tō
\
\
Definition of staccato
1a
: cut short or apart in performing : disconnected
staccato notes
b
: marked by short clear-cut playing or singing of tones or chords
a staccato style
2
: abrupt, disjointed
staccato screams
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Examples of staccato in a Sentence
the staccato blasts of a horn
Recent Examples on the Web
Beneath the upbeat tone and staccato sentences is a picture very like the old-fashioned Marxist vision of man under capitalism: an appendage of the machine. — Richard Cooke, The New Republic, "The conservative commentariat’s love affair with nootropics," 3 Sep. 2019 And our lives are as meaningless as a single, lonely letter, an s with just a hiss that meant nothing, a p sputtered, a t of staccato disapproval. — Susan Dominus, New York Times, "In Love With Language, but Not Necessarily With Each Other," 30 Aug. 2019 A few feet away, the actor playing the free man of color held forth in a brown three-piece suit and halting staccato to a growing crowd. — Sarah M. Broom, The New Yorker, "Who Stays Gone, and Who Can Afford to Return," 12 Aug. 2019 With twitching whiskers and staccato-like movements, the nocturnal rodent searches for seeds and grain to store in its cheek pouches. — Ben Brazil, Daily Pilot, "The Dana Point Headlands is setting an example for how conservation can be done in urban areas," 27 July 2019 The birds, perhaps vying for territory, were singing, one staccato call blending into another. — Karine Aigner, National Geographic, "Songbirds are being snatched from Miami’s forests," 25 July 2019 Quick vertical and horizontal lines are underscored by staccato stabs of the brush. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Review: LACMA’s ‘Art of Korean Writing’ reveals the brilliance in each brushstroke," 29 June 2019 Those crying remove themselves from the circle, their staccato wails fill the small cemetery like a bird song. — Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, "Mourning refugees risk a war zone to bury their dead at home," 20 June 2019 In the Balboa, Mozart’s opening staccato notes in the strings had a bite rarely encountered in other venues. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Pianist Jeremy Denk adds joyful spontaneity to Mozart concerto in wonderful collaboration with Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra," 9 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'staccato.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for staccato
staccato
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of staccato
music
: short and not sounding connected
: sudden and brief
See the full definition for staccato in the English Language Learners Dictionary
staccato
adjective
stac·ca·to
| \ stə-ˈkä-tō
\
\
Kids Definition of staccato
1
: cut short so as not to sound connected
staccato notes … he … stayed with her, the quiet interrupted only by her occasional staccato breaths.— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising
2
: played or sung with breaks between notes