Meanings
plural pizzicatos · plural pizzicati
- entertainmentA note that is played pizzicato
The music is weaving / Haunting notes, pizzicato strings
1981, “Vienna”, performed by Ultravox1 more example
“Trapeze” begins with pizzicatos that plunge into a circuslike cacophony with rapid trills, busy, clashing textures and motion in every direction.
2007 May 7, Vivien Schweitzer, “Players With No Conductor and, Increasingly, With No Fear”, in New York Times
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbTo be played by plucking the strings instead of using the bow.
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of instruments in the violin family) to be plucked with the finger
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Italianpizzicato
- Englishpizzicato
Borrowed from Italian pizzicato, past participle of pizzicare (“to pluck”).
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 撥奏 /拨奏
- 撥奏 /拨奏 (bōzòu)musical instruction
Estonian pizzicato
- pizzicatomusical instruction
French pizzicato
- pizzicatomusical instruction
Italian pizzicato
- pizzicatomusical instruction
Japanese ピチカート, ピッチカート
- ピチカート (pichikāto)musical instruction
- ピッチカート (pitchikāto)musical instruction
- ピッツィカート (pittsikāto)musical instruction
Russian пиццика́то
- пиццика́то (piccikáto)musical instruction
Swedish pizzicato
- pizzicatomusical instruction
Cite this entry
pizzicato. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pizzicato
“pizzicato.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pizzicato. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pizzicato,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pizzicato.
Source: pizzicato on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.