coloratura

[ kuhl-er-uh-too r-uh, -tyoo r-uh, kol-, kohl- ]
/ ˌkʌl ər əˈtʊər ə, -ˈtyʊər ə, ˌkɒl-, ˌkoʊl- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR coloratura ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

runs, trills, and other florid decorations in vocal music.
a lyric soprano of high range who specializes in such music.
Also col·or·a·ture [kuhl-er-uh-choo r] /ˈkʌl ər əˌtʃʊər/.

Origin of coloratura

1730–40; < Italian < Late Latin: literally, coloring. See color, -ate1, -ure

Words nearby coloratura

colorado tick fever virus, colorado topaz, coloradoite, colorant, coloration, coloratura, colorbearer, colorblind, colorblindness, colorbreed, colorcast

Words related to coloratura

singer, choral, treble, descant, falsetto, mellifluous, melodic, melodious, poetic, tuneful, songful

Example sentences from the Web for coloratura

British Dictionary definitions for coloratura

coloratura

colorature (ˈkɒlərəˌtjʊə)

/ (ˌkɒlərəˈtʊərə) /

noun music

  1. (in 18th- and 19th-century arias) a florid virtuoso passage
  2. (as modifier)a coloratura aria
Also called: coloratura soprano a lyric soprano who specializes in such music

Word Origin for coloratura

C19: from obsolete Italian, literally: colouring, from Latin colōrāre to colour

Cultural definitions for coloratura

coloratura
[ (kul-uhr-uh-toor-uh) ]

Elaborate ornamentation in a piece of vocal music. A coloratura soprano is one who can sing such highly ornamented parts.