staccato

/stəˈkɑdoʊ/

/stəˈkɑtəʊ/

Other forms: staccatos

Staccato is a musical term for notes that are played quickly and sharply. It can also refer to anything characterized by similar beats, such as the staccato clacking of a woman's high heels on a tile floor.

There is nothing quite so pleasant as lying in bed on a Saturday morning listening to the staccato tapping of rain on the roof, knowing that everything you had planned will now be canceled. Other staccato sounds are not so pleasant — like your neighbor learning to play the drums or a jack hammer blaring right outside your window.

Definitions of staccato

1. adverb

   separating the notes; in music
   “play this staccato, please”

   antonyms:

   legato

   (music) connecting the notes
2. adjective

   (music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply
   “staccato applause”

   “a staccato command”

   “staccato notes”

   synonyms: disconnected

   abrupt, disconnected

   marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions

   antonyms:

   legato

   (music) without breaks between notes; smooth and connected
3. noun

   a series of sharp, distinct sounds
   type of:

   noise

   sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)