Definition of Adagio

1. Noun. (music) a composition played in adagio tempo (slowly and gracefully). "They played the adagio too quickly"

Category relationships: Music
Generic synonyms: Composition, Musical Composition, Opus, Piece, Piece Of Music, Musical Passage, Passage

2. Adjective. (of tempo) leisurely.
Similar to: Slow

3. Adverb. Slowly. "Here you must play adagio"
Category relationships: Music

4. Noun. A slow section of a pas de deux requiring great skill and strength by the dancers.
Generic synonyms: Dance, Dancing, Saltation, Terpsichore
Group relationships: Duet, Pas De Deux

Definition of Adagio

1. a. & adv. Slow; slowly, leisurely, and gracefully. When repeated, adagio, adagio, it directs the movement to be very slow.

2. n. A piece of music in adagio time; a slow movement; as, an adagio of Haydn.

Definition of Adagio

1. Noun. (music) A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played rather slowly, leisurely and gracefully. ¹

2. Noun. (music) A passage having this mark. ¹

3. Noun. (dance) A male-female duet or mixed trio ballet displaying demanding balance, spins and/or lifts. ¹

4. Adverb. (music) Played rather slowly. ¹

5. Adjective. (music) Describing a passage having this mark. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Adagio

1. a musical composition or movement played in a slow tempo [n -GIOS]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Adagio

ad valorem tax
ad valorem taxes
ad verbum
ad verecundiam
adacrya
adactylia
adactylous
adafenoxate
adage
adages
adagial
adagietto
adagiettos
adagio (current term)
adagios
adagissimo
adalimumab
adam
adam's apple
adam-and-eve
adamance
adamances
adamancies
adamancy
adamant
adamantane
adamantanes
adamantanethiol

Literary usage of Adagio

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450-1880) by George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland (1880)
"adagio. Adapto. Mo. 9. [12.] Largo. No. 10.« [S.] adagio. [1795.] ' Sinfonía in В Ь. 1796.' •1793.' No. 11. [4] adagio. No. 12. [11.] f> •The 'Clock. ..."

2. A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450-1880) by George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland (1889)
"adagio ma non troppo ; Thema (Andante) with vacations, and Finale. ... Quintet for clarinet and string-quartet; Bb. Allegro; Fantasía adagio ; Menuetto ..."

3. Pronouncing and Defining Dictionary of Music by William Smythe Babcock Mathews, Emil Liebling (1896)
"adagio assa! (ä-dä'jl-ö äs-sä'e), It. Very slow and with much expression. ... adagio con gravita (ä-dä'jl-G kön grä'vl-tä} It. Slow, with gravity aud ..."

4. The Appreciation of Music: A Course of Study for Schools, Colleges, and by Thomas Whitney Surette, Daniel Gregory Mason (1907)
"V. FORM OF HAYDN'S adagio. This adagio of Haydn is a good illustration of ... It may be tabulated as follows: TABULAR VIEW OF SECTIONS IN HAYDN'S adagio. ..."

5. Adams' New Musical Dictionary of Fifteen Thousand Technical Words, Phrases by John Stowell Adams (1865)
"adagio-adagio. (Ita.) A double retardation of time, nearly as slow as grave, ... An abbreviation of adagio. Adaptation. An harmonious conjunction of words ..."

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