passacaglia

noun pas·sa·ca·glia \ˌpä-sə-ˈkäl-yə, ˌpa-sə-ˈkal-yə\

Definition of PASSACAGLIA

a : an old Italian or Spanish dance tune

b : an instrumental musical composition consisting of variations usually on a ground bass in moderately slow triple time

: an old dance performed to a passacaglia

modification of Spanish pasacalle, from pasar to pass + calle street, from Latin callis path — more at pase

First Known Use: 1659

Next Word in the Dictionary: passacaillePrevious Word in the Dictionary: passableAll Words Near: passacaglia

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