Pizzicato
adverb /ˌpɪt.sɪˈkɑː.toʊ/ — Played by plucking the strings rather than bowing them.
Definition
A musical direction indicating that a stringed instrument should be played by plucking the strings with the fingers rather than using the bow — producing a dry, crisp, somewhat percussive sound instead of a sustained tone.
Beyond the definition
Pizzicato has a particular intimacy — something almost conversational. Where bowed strings speak in long sentences, plucked ones speak in syllables: quick, pointed, individual.
Origin & history
From Italian pizzicato, 'plucked,' the past participle of pizzicare ('to pluck or pinch'). The Online Etymology Dictionary records English use in 1845; this is an English attestation, not the invention date of the playing technique.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The violinist played the passage pizzicato, plucking the strings instead of drawing the bow across them.
The quartet shifted to pizzicato for the final movement — the effect was suddenly skeletal, intimate, and final.
He was practicing his pizzicato technique, trying to get the same evenness of tone across all four strings.
How to use it
In music, pizzicato directs string players to pluck rather than bow. It can modify “play” directly: “play pizzicato.” Do not add -ly. It names a technique, not a volume or tempo.
Illustrative example: “The violinist played the passage pizzicato, plucking each string with a finger.”
Synonyms
plucked
Antonyms
arco, bowed
Related words
Pizzicato vs staccato
Pizzicato is a method of playing strings by plucking rather than bowing. Staccato is a style of playing notes that are detached and short, regardless of the method used.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Close-up Of Musician's Precise Fingers
A musician's fingers move across the strings of a violin in a close-up, highlighting the tension and blurred motion of the strings.
Pizzicato is the technique of plucking strings to create a crisp, percussive sound. The focus on the fingers' contact with the strings visualizes how the performer generates tone directly, replacing the bow with touch.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Pizzicato" mean?
Pizzicato is adverb meaning: Played by plucking the strings rather than bowing them.. A musical direction indicating that a stringed instrument should be played by plucking the strings with the fingers rather than using the bow — producing a dry, crisp, somewhat percussive sound instead of a sustained tone.
Where does the word "Pizzicato" come from?
From Italian pizzicato, 'plucked,' the past participle of pizzicare ('to pluck or pinch'). The Online Etymology Dictionary records English use in 1845; this is an English attestation, not the invention date of the playing technique.