pizzicato

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian pizzicato, past participle of pizzicare (“to pluck”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpɪtsɪˈkɑːtoʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: piz‧zi‧ca‧to

Adverb

pizzicato (not comparable)

1. (music) To be played by plucking the strings instead of using the bow.

   Synonym: pizz.

Antonyms

• arco

Derived terms

• Bartók pizzicato
• snap pizzicato

Translations

musical instruction

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 撥奏 / 拨奏 (zh) (bōzòu)

• Estonian: pizzicato (et)
• French: pizzicato (fr)
• Galician: pizzicato (gl) m
• Italian: pizzicato (it)
• Japanese: ピチカート (pichikāto), ピッチカート (pitchikāto), ピッツィカート (pittsikāto)
• Macedonian: пицикато (picikato)
• Marathi: पिज्जिकातो (pijjikāto)
• Russian: пиццика́то (ru) (piccikáto)
• Swedish: pizzicato (sv)

Noun

pizzicato (plural pizzicatos or pizzicati)

1. (music) A note that is played pizzicato
   • 1981, “Vienna”, performed by Ultravox:

     The music is weaving / Haunting notes, pizzicato strings

   • 2007 May 7, Vivien Schweitzer, “Players With No Conductor and, Increasingly, With No Fear”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 5 October 2025:

     “Trapeze” begins with pizzicatos that plunge into a circuslike cacophony with rapid trills, busy, clashing textures and motion in every direction.

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian pizzicato.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpitsikɑːt(ː)o/, [ˈpits̠iˌkɑ̝ːt̪(ː)o̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑːto

Adverb

pizzicato

1. (music) pizzicato

Noun

pizzicato

1. (music) pizzicato

Declension

Inflection of pizzicato (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		pizzicato	pizzicatot
genitive		pizzicaton	pizzicatojen
partitive		pizzicatoa	pizzicatoja
illative		pizzicatoon	pizzicatoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		pizzicato	pizzicatot
accusative	nom.	pizzicato	pizzicatot
	gen.	pizzicaton
genitive		pizzicaton	pizzicatojen
partitive		pizzicatoa	pizzicatoja
inessive		pizzicatossa	pizzicatoissa
elative		pizzicatosta	pizzicatoista
illative		pizzicatoon	pizzicatoihin
adessive		pizzicatolla	pizzicatoilla
ablative		pizzicatolta	pizzicatoilta
allative		pizzicatolle	pizzicatoille
essive		pizzicatona	pizzicatoina
translative		pizzicatoksi	pizzicatoiksi
abessive		pizzicatotta	pizzicatoitta
instructive		—	pizzicatoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of pizzicato (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pizzicatoni pizzicatoni accusative nom. pizzicatoni pizzicatoni gen. pizzicatoni genitive pizzicatoni pizzicatojeni partitive pizzicatoani pizzicatojani inessive pizzicatossani pizzicatoissani elative pizzicatostani pizzicatoistani illative pizzicatooni pizzicatoihini adessive pizzicatollani pizzicatoillani ablative pizzicatoltani pizzicatoiltani allative pizzicatolleni pizzicatoilleni essive pizzicatonani pizzicatoinani translative pizzicatokseni pizzicatoikseni abessive pizzicatottani pizzicatoittani instructive — — comitative — pizzicatoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pizzicatosi pizzicatosi accusative nom. pizzicatosi pizzicatosi gen. pizzicatosi genitive pizzicatosi pizzicatojesi partitive pizzicatoasi pizzicatojasi inessive pizzicatossasi pizzicatoissasi elative pizzicatostasi pizzicatoistasi illative pizzicatoosi pizzicatoihisi adessive pizzicatollasi pizzicatoillasi ablative pizzicatoltasi pizzicatoiltasi allative pizzicatollesi pizzicatoillesi essive pizzicatonasi pizzicatoinasi translative pizzicatoksesi pizzicatoiksesi abessive pizzicatottasi pizzicatoittasi instructive — — comitative — pizzicatoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pizzicatomme pizzicatomme accusative nom. pizzicatomme pizzicatomme gen. pizzicatomme genitive pizzicatomme pizzicatojemme partitive pizzicatoamme pizzicatojamme inessive pizzicatossamme pizzicatoissamme elative pizzicatostamme pizzicatoistamme illative pizzicatoomme pizzicatoihimme adessive pizzicatollamme pizzicatoillamme ablative pizzicatoltamme pizzicatoiltamme allative pizzicatollemme pizzicatoillemme essive pizzicatonamme pizzicatoinamme translative pizzicatoksemme pizzicatoiksemme abessive pizzicatottamme pizzicatoittamme instructive — — comitative — pizzicatoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pizzicatonne pizzicatonne accusative nom. pizzicatonne pizzicatonne gen. pizzicatonne genitive pizzicatonne pizzicatojenne partitive pizzicatoanne pizzicatojanne inessive pizzicatossanne pizzicatoissanne elative pizzicatostanne pizzicatoistanne illative pizzicatoonne pizzicatoihinne adessive pizzicatollanne pizzicatoillanne ablative pizzicatoltanne pizzicatoiltanne allative pizzicatollenne pizzicatoillenne essive pizzicatonanne pizzicatoinanne translative pizzicatoksenne pizzicatoiksenne abessive pizzicatottanne pizzicatoittanne instructive — — comitative — pizzicatoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative pizzicatonsa pizzicatonsa accusative nom. pizzicatonsa pizzicatonsa gen. pizzicatonsa genitive pizzicatonsa pizzicatojensa partitive pizzicatoaan pizzicatoansa pizzicatojaan pizzicatojansa inessive pizzicatossaan pizzicatossansa pizzicatoissaan pizzicatoissansa elative pizzicatostaan pizzicatostansa pizzicatoistaan pizzicatoistansa illative pizzicatoonsa pizzicatoihinsa adessive pizzicatollaan pizzicatollansa pizzicatoillaan pizzicatoillansa ablative pizzicatoltaan pizzicatoltansa pizzicatoiltaan pizzicatoiltansa allative pizzicatolleen pizzicatollensa pizzicatoilleen pizzicatoillensa essive pizzicatonaan pizzicatonansa pizzicatoinaan pizzicatoinansa translative pizzicatokseen pizzicatoksensa pizzicatoikseen pizzicatoiksensa abessive pizzicatottaan pizzicatottansa pizzicatoittaan pizzicatoittansa instructive — — comitative — pizzicatoineen pizzicatoinensa

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adverb

pizzicato

1. pizzicato

Noun

pizzicato m (plural pizzicatos)

1. pizzicato

Further reading

• “pizzicato”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Participle

pizzicato (feminine pizzicata, masculine plural pizzicati, feminine plural pizzicate)

1. past participle of pizzicare

Noun

pizzicato m (plural pizzicati)

1. (music) pizzicato

Anagrams

• capitozzi

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian pizzicato.

Adverb

pizzicato

1. pizzicato

Noun

pizzicato n (uncountable)

1. pizzicato

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	pizzicato	pizzicatoul
genitive-dative	pizzicato	pizzicatoului
vocative	pizzicatoule