legato

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: le=ga=to

CIDE DICTIONARY

legato, a. [It., tied, joined, fr. legare to tie, bind, L. ligare.].

 Connected; tied; -- a term used when successive tones are to be produced in a closely connected, smoothly gliding manner. It is often indicated by a tie, thus staccato.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

legato, adv., adj., & n. Mus.
--adv. & adj. in a smooth flowing manner, without breaks between notes (cf. STACCATO, TENUTO).
--n. (pl. -os)
1 a legato passage.
2 legato playing.

Etymology

It., = bound, past part. of legare f. L ligare bind

THESAURUS

legato

a cappella, abbandono, accrescendo, adagietto, adagio, affettuoso, agilmente, agitato, allegretto, allegro, amabile, amoroso, andante, andantino, appassionatamente, appassionato, brillante, cantando, capriccioso, con affetto, con agilita, con agitazione, con amore, crescendo, decrescendo, demilegato, diminuendo, dolce, execution, expression, fingering, forte, fortissimo, glissando, intonation, lamentabile, larghetto, larghissimo, largo, leggiero, marcando, mezzo staccato, morendo, music-making, parlando, performance, pianism, pianissimo, piano, pizzicato, prestissimo, presto, rallentando, rendering, rendition, repercussion, ritardando, ritenuto, rubato, scherzando, scherzo, scherzoso, slur, sordo, sotto voce, spiccato, staccato, stretto, touch, tremolando, tremoloso, trillando

ROGET THESAURUS

legato

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.