Trillo

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation of two adjacent notes, typically used in vocal music
2. A form of embellishment in music created by swiftly alternating between two pitches or tones
3. A decorative technique in performance featuring quick repetitive movements between two specific notes

Etymology: The Italian "trillo" is a noun meaning a trill, the rapid alternation between two neighbouring notes that musicians call a quick two-note ornament. English borrowed it directly from Italian, so the musical sense arrived with its foreign spelling and sound intact. The Italian noun comes from the verb "trillare," meaning to trill, which is the source of the word in its verb form. Because English took the noun straight from Italian rather than through a longer chain of borrowings, the word has stayed close to its original musical meaning. It describes the same fast back-and-forth movement between two adjacent notes that Italian composers and performers used it for.

Synonyms: trill, ornament, vibrato, grace note, mordent