tremolo

noun

trem·​o·​lo ˈtre-mə-ˌlō 

plural tremolos

1

a

: the rapid reiteration of a musical tone or of alternating tones to produce a tremulous effect

b

: vocal vibrato especially when prominent or excessive

2

: a mechanical device in an organ for causing a tremulous effect

Examples of tremolo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Amps were played pretty clean most of the time, the gentle 'tremolo bridge' had yet to be recast as the wild, feedback-screaming 'whammy bar,' and the three-way pickup selector switch wasn't designed to get jammed in between positions. —New Atlas, 10 July 2024

But Eddy wasn’t all lower-register melodies, liberal tremolo and omnipresent whammy bar. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2024

Yeah, it’s got that Eventide tremolo guitar effect on my part throughout it. —Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024

Further embellishments include a two-point steel tremolo anchor, synthetic bone nut and faux-vintage tuners. —Ron Hart, SPIN, 22 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from tremolo tremulous, from Latin tremulus

First Known Use

circa 1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

tremolo

noun

trem·​o·​lo ˈtrem-ə-ˌlō 

plural tremolos

1

: the rapid repetition of a musical tone or of alternating tones to produce a rapid wavering sound

2

: a mechanical device in an organ for causing a rapid wavering sound