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so·ste·nu·to

(sō′stə-ntō, sô′-) Music

adv. & adj.

In a manner that is sustained as long as or beyond a note's full value. Used chiefly as a direction.

n. pl. so·ste·nu·tos or so·ste·nu·ti (-tē)

A sostenuto passage or movement.

[Italian, past participle of sostenere, to sustain, from Latin sustinēre; see SUSTAIN.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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