Appoggiatura

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Appoggiatura \Ap*pog`gia*tu"ra\, n. [It., fr. appogiarre to
     lean, to rest; ap- (L. ad) + poggiare to mount, ascend,
     poggio hill, fr. L. podium an elevated place.] (Mus.)
     A passing tone preceding an essential tone, and borrowing the
     time it occupies from that; a short auxiliary or grace note
     one degree above or below the principal note unless it be of


     the same harmony; -- generally indicated by a note of smaller
     size, as in the illustration above. It forms no essential
     part of the harmony.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  appoggiatura
       n : an embellishing note usually written in smaller size [syn: {grace
           note}, {acciaccatura}]
       [also: {appoggiature} (pl)]