ossia

O1S1S1I1A1
US/ˈɑsiə/US/ˈɔsiə/US/oʊˈsiə/UK/ˈɒsɪə/

noun

In a musical score, an alternative version of a passage, usually just a few measures long. The alternative may be an easier version of a particularly difficult passage, or a more difficult version of a passage.

OriginItalian ossia →
RareScrabble 5
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounossia (plural ossias)

plural ossias

  1. entertainmentIn a musical score, an alternative version of a passage, usually just a few measures long. The alternative may be an easier version of a particularly difficult passage, or a more difficult version of a passage.

Origin

  1. Italianossia“or rather”
  2. Englishossia

From Italian ossia (“or rather”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

oasisOsiasOssai
Cite this entry
APA

ossia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ossia

MLA

“ossia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ossia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ossia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ossia.

Source: ossia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.