crescendo

noun kreh-SHEN-doh Rare

Origin: Italian musical term from crescere (to grow), from Latin crescere.

Also means

gradual increase

Usage Note

Crescendo is an Italian word that entered English and most European languages directly from musical terminology. In music it means a gradual increase in volume; figuratively, un crescendo di emozioni (a crescendo of emotions) describes any building intensity. Italians use it in both its original musical sense and the figurative one. The plural is crescendo (invariable as a borrowed term used in Italian music writing) or crescendi in musicological texts.

Examples

"Il brano si chiude con un potente crescendo."

Natural Translation

The piece ends with a powerful crescendo.

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