glissando

noun

glis·​san·​do gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce glissando (audio)
plural glissandi gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dē How to pronounce glissando (audio) or glissandos
: a rapid sliding up or down the musical scale

Examples of glissando in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 

Word History

Etymology

probably modification of French glissade

First Known Use

circa 1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glissando was circa 1854

Dictionary Entries Near glissando

Cite this Entry

“Glissando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glissando. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

glissando

noun
glis·​san·​do gli-ˈsän-dō How to pronounce glissando (audio)
plural glissandi -(ˌ)dē How to pronounce glissando (audio) or glissandos
: a rapid sliding up or down the musical scale
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