Sfor-zăn'do or Sfor-zā'to, a.

(sfor-dzăn'do), Sfor-zā'to, a. [It. sforzando, p. pr. of sforzare, to force; sforzato, p. p. of the same verb.] (Mus.) Forcing or forced; — a direction placed over a note, to signify to the performer that it must be executed with peculiar emphasis and force; — marked fz (an abbreviation of forzando, q. v.), sf, or <. Brande.