secco

1 of 2

noun

sec·​co ˈse-(ˌ)kō 

: the art of painting on dry plaster

secco

2 of 2

adjective or adverb

1

: short and very staccato

—used as a direction in music

2

of a recitative : accompanied only by the instruments playing the continuo

Examples of secco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Vergine Marsala is a secco (dry) wine, fortified after fermentation is complete with no mosto cotto or sifone. —John Mariani, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2021

Categories abound in the world of Marsala wine—it can be classified as either secco, semisecco, or sweet depending on its sugar content, and has five distinct classifications depending on how long it’s been aged. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 31 May 2021

Oh, and be sure to pick up the Purr-secco and don’t furget to get out the comfortable day paw-jamas. —Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Feb. 2021

The restaurant’s Old King Cole martini (one of dozens in Simonson’s book) combines Old Raj gin, Mancino secco vermouth and Angostura orange bitters. —M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, from secco dry, from Latin siccus — more at sack

Adjective or adverb

Italian, literally, dry

First Known Use

Noun

1852, in the meaning defined above

Adjective Or Adverb

circa 1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1