glissando
noun
glis·san·do
gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dō 
plural glissandi
gli-ˈsän-(ˌ)dē
or glissandos
or glissandos
: a rapid sliding up or down the musical scale
Examples of glissando in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauer contrasted that with an ascending glissando on his Wurlitzer in the middle of the bridge.
—
Tom Roland, Billboard, 18 June 2025
Mazzoli piles unstable harmonies on top of that fractured foundation; trombone glissandos add a demonic sneer.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Each key was associated with a particular note, but the pitch of the note could be tuned by rolling back and forth on the key, similar to how a violinist might produce a vibrato or glissando.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2024
The two violinists beautifully etched a winter of stark stillness; a gusty, indecisive spring; a summer of slumping glissandos and whirring bugs; and a pouncing autumn, crisp and scrubby.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for glissando
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Tom Roland, Billboard, 18 June 2025
Mazzoli piles unstable harmonies on top of that fractured foundation; trombone glissandos add a demonic sneer.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Each key was associated with a particular note, but the pitch of the note could be tuned by rolling back and forth on the key, similar to how a violinist might produce a vibrato or glissando.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2024
The two violinists beautifully etched a winter of stark stillness; a gusty, indecisive spring; a summer of slumping glissandos and whirring bugs; and a pouncing autumn, crisp and scrubby.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for glissando
Cite this Entry
“Glissando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glissando. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glissando
noun
glis·san·do
gli-ˈsän-dō
plural glissandi
-(ˌ)dē
or glissandos
or glissandos
: a rapid sliding up or down the musical scale
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