ritornello

noun

ri·tor·nel·lo ˌri-tər-ˈne-(ˌ)lō

ˌri-ˌtȯr-

plural ritornelli ˌri-tər-ˈne-(ˌ)lē

ˌri-ˌtȯr-

or ritornellos

: a short recurrent instrumental passage in a vocal composition

: an instrumental interlude in early opera

: a tutti passage in a concerto or rondo refrain

Examples of ritornello in a Sentence

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An orchestral ritornello serves as a bridge between each variation. —

Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, 30 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of ritorno return, from ritornare to return, from ri- re- + tornare to turn, from Latin, to turn on a lathe — more at turn entry 1

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of ritornello was in 1632

See more words from the same year