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
At 7:59, a thunderous clap followed by the sound of harp glissandos sends everyone to their seats.
—
Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for glissando
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Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for glissando
Cite this Entry
“Glissando.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glissando. Accessed 31 Oct. 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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