mosso
|mos-so|
🇺🇸
/ˈmɔːsoʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˈmɒsəʊ/
moved; with motion
Etymology
'mosso' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'mosso', ultimately from Latin 'movere' where the root meant 'to move'.
'mosso' developed as the past participle form in Italian (from Latin 'movere' → Italian verb 'muovere'/'mosso') and was adopted into musical terminology in European scores to indicate motion or tempo changes.
Initially it meant 'moved' (physically or emotionally) as a past participle; over time it became a conventional musical term meaning 'with motion' or 'more animated' (often in directions like 'più mosso').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a passage or section of music marked 'mosso' (used as a noun in musical commentary).
The mosso in the development brings contrast to the otherwise slow movement.
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Adjective 1
italian past participle meaning 'moved'; used in English musical contexts to mean 'with motion' or 'animated'.
The orchestra played the theme in a mosso style, adding energy to the passage.
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Adverb 1
a musical direction (often in phrases like 'più mosso') indicating a section should be played with more motion — i.e., faster or more animated.
In the score the composer writes 'più mosso' at rehearsal 32, signaling an increase in tempo.
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Last updated: 2025/09/15 03:26