staccato

detached

adjective stahk-KAH-toh Rare

Origin: Past participle of staccare (to detach), from s- + attaccare (to attach)

Also means

separate

Usage Note

Staccato means physically detached or emotionally aloof. It is also the well-known musical term borrowed into English and many other languages: short, clipped notes played staccato. In everyday Italian staccato can describe a house (casa staccata, detached house) or a person who seems emotionally distant. The feminine form is staccata.

Examples

"Abita in una villetta staccata dal centro."

Natural Translation

She lives in a detached house away from the centre.

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