acciaccatura
noun
Meaning
A musical ornament consisting of a very short grace note played as quickly as possible before the principal note.
Examples
- The composer marked the score with an acciaccatura to give the opening theme a sharper, more urgent attack.
- She struggled to execute the acciaccatura cleanly without blurring the transition into the following chord.
Synonyms: grace note, ornament, appoggiatura, embellishment