archetto
|ar-chet-to|
🇺🇸
/ɑrˈkɛtoʊ/
🇬🇧
/ɑːˈkɛtəʊ/
small bow; bowing
Etymology
'archetto' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'archetto', where 'arco' meant 'bow' and the diminutive suffix '-etto' meant 'little'.
'archetto' changed from Italian 'arco' (from Latin 'arcus') with the diminutive suffix '-etto' and was adopted into English as the musical loanword 'archetto'.
Initially, it meant 'small bow', but over time it evolved into its current specialized musical meaning of 'played with a bow' or a bowing instruction.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
1. (original Italian) a small bow; a diminutive of 'arco'. 2. (music, loanword) a direction or term indicating the use of the bow (i.e., played with the bow), often synonymous with 'arco'.
In the score the composer marked 'archetto' to indicate the passage should be played with the bow.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/06 04:00