affrettando

adjective af·fret·tan·do \ ˌa-frə-ˈtän-(ˌ)dō , ˌä- \

Definition of affrettando

: becoming faster, as if excited —used as a direction in music

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of affrettando

Italian, literally, hastening, verbal of affrettare to hasten, from a- (from Latin ad-) + fretta haste, from frettare to rub, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin frictare, from Latin frictus, past participle of fricare to rub

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1842

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year