Definition of "coloratura" []

• Music The ornamentation of music written for the voice with florid passages, especially trills and runs. (noun)
• Music Vocal music characterized by florid ornamental passages. (noun)
• Music A singer, especially a soprano, specializing in such ornamentation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It also showed an ability to sing coloratura, which is a fast, fluid way of singing music that is ordinarily not that easy for the more dramatic singers."
• "It also showed an ability to sing coloratura, which is a fast, fluid way of singing music that is ordinarily not easy for the more dramatic singers."
• "Now, the French soprano, 45 years old, returns to a part designed for a singer who can handle "coloratura" — elaborate trills and zippy singing."