Cantilena definition

kăntl-ēnə
A sustained, smooth-flowing melodic line.
noun
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A smooth, flowing, lyrical passage of vocal, or sometimes instrumental, music.
noun
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(music) A vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style.
noun
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
cantilena
Plural:
cantilenas

Origin of cantilena

  • Italian from Latin cantilēna song from cantus canticle

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Italian or Latin cantilena (“it”)

    From Wiktionary