Main Entry: ca·den·za

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈden-zə\

Function: noun

Etymology: Italian, cadence, cadenza

Date: 1784

1 : a parenthetical flourish in an aria or other solo piece commonly just before a final or other important cadence
2 : a technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto
3 : an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic and especially a literary work