Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pizzicato” come from?

pizzicato (English) comes from Italian pizzicato, from Italian pizzicare, from Italian pizzare, from Italian pizzo, from Sicilian pizzu.

pizzicato (English): To be played by plucking the strings instead of...

Definitions

  1. To be played by plucking the strings instead of...

Ancestry of “pizzicato”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianpizzicatopast participle of pizzicare; pizzicato
2Italianpizzicareto pinch, nip; to bite, sting; to catch, seize
3Italianpizzare—
4Italianpizzolace, needle lace; goatee; peak, spur
5Sicilianpizzu—
Every word from Sicilian pizzu →