pastorale

noun

pas·​to·​rale ˌpa-stə-ˈräl How to pronounce pastorale (audio) -ˈral How to pronounce pastorale (audio)
 also  -ˈrä-lē
1
a
: an instrumental or vocal composition having a pastoral theme
b
: an opera of the 16th or 17th centuries having a pastoral plot
2

Examples of pastorale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas. William Robin, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from pastorale of herdsmen, from Latin pastoralis

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of pastorale was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near pastorale

Cite this Entry

“Pastorale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastorale. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pastorale

noun
pas·​to·​rale ˌpas-tə-ˈräl How to pronounce pastorale (audio) -ˈral How to pronounce pastorale (audio)
: a piece of music for instruments or voices that suggests rural scenes

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