staccato (stu-kä'tō)

adj.

1. Music (regarding notes) short, clipped, detached.
2. Composed of short, abrupt parts or sounds.

adv.

in a staccato manner or sound

n., pl. -tos or -ti

1. Performance in a staccato manner or sound.
2. A staccato passage.

[from the Italian staccare, to detach]