smorzando

adjective

smor·zan·do

smȯrtˈsän(ˌ)dō

variants or less commonly smorzato

-ä(ˌ)dō

: growing slower and softer : dying away

—abbreviation smorz

—used as a direction in music

Word History

Etymology

smorzando from Italian, verbal of smorzare to tone down, reduce, alteration (influenced by s-, from Latin ex-) of ammorzare to moderate, weaken, extinguish, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin admortiare to extinguish, from Latin ad- + (assumed) Vulgar Latin -mortiare (from Latin mortuus, past participle of mori to die); smorzato from Italian, past participle of smorzare