glissando

noun

glis·san·do gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dō

plural glissandi gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dē

or glissandos

: a rapid sliding up or down the musical scale

Examples of glissando in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Mazzoli piles unstable harmonies on top of that fractured foundation; trombone glissandos add a demonic sneer. —

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Each key was associated with a particular note, but the pitch of the note could be tuned by rolling back and forth on the key, similar to how a violinist might produce a vibrato or glissando. —

IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2024 The two violinists beautifully etched a winter of stark stillness; a gusty, indecisive spring; a summer of slumping glissandos and whirring bugs; and a pouncing autumn, crisp and scrubby. —

Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023 Textures and gestures, such as upward glissandos or pizzicato arpeggios are similarly indicated. —

Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for glissando