Standard Lemma guide

cabaletta

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kæbəˈlɛtə/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A short, rhythmically repetitive aria.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1980, to bring the proceedings to an end and enable him to perform his salvatory mission, he swung into a cabaletta which summed up the argument against Arius — Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

An Italian variant of coboletta, diminutive of cobola (“stanza, couplet”), from Old Occitan cobla, from Latin copula. Doublet of couplet.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: cabaletta — repetitive aria
  • Italian: cabaletta — repetitive aria