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Glite Dictionary
staccato rhythm

staccato rhythm

1 6.8
A pattern of short, sharp sounds or movements played quickly
  • noun
  • /stəˈkɑːtoʊ ˈrɪðəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ritmo staccato
  • As the horse galloped across the field, its hooves created a staccato rhythm on the hard ground.

Examples

  • At once, the staccato rhythms of Shmulik Kraus filled the silent apartment.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The drummer maintained a lively staccato rhythm as the band played their latest song.

  • The teacher read the poem with a staccato rhythm, emphasizing the sharp breaks between phrases.

Synonyms

rhythm
vsstaccato rhythm
301 3.3

A regular pattern of sounds and movements, often in music or dance

is narrower and refers only to short separated sounds not all patterns
staccato beat
vsstaccato rhythm
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Short, sharp musical sounds that have clear gaps between notes

is used more widely for short separated sounds or movements including speech
musical rhythm
vsstaccato rhythm
  • Specialized
3.2

A regular pattern of beats in a song or dance that gives music its timing

focuses on short sharply separated sounds rather than general timing

Antonyms

legato
  • Specialized
7.4

To play or sing smoothly so the notes join without breaks

Surface Forms

staccato rhythm singular
staccato rhythms plural

Morphology

staccato + rhythm

The meaning 'a pattern of short, sharply separated sounds' is directly and compositionally derived from 'staccato' (distinct, individual sounds) modifying 'rhythm' (a pattern of sounds or beats). This adjective + noun structure is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Staccato rhythm comes from music where staccato means to play notes short and separated, like tiny jumps or quick footsteps. That's why staccato rhythm now describes 'short, sharply separated sounds or movements'.