noun pl. ritornellos -·los or ritornelli -·li (-lē)

1. an instrumental interlude before or after an aria, scene, etc. in early, esp. 17th-cent., operas
2. a tutti section recurring in a concerto grosso or rondo

Etymology: It, dim. of ritorno, a return < ritornare, to return < ri- (< L re-), re- + tornare (< L), to turn