Stac-cā'to, a.

Stac-cā'to, a. [It., p. p. of staccare, equivalent to distaccare, Pr. destacar, Fr. détacher. See DETACH.] (Mus.) Disconnected; separated; distinct; — a direction to perform the notes of a passage in a short, distinct, and pointed manner; — opposed to legato, and often indicated by heavy accents written over or under the notes, or by dots when the performance is to be less distinct and emphatic.