Definition of "rubato" [‖Ru•ba•to]

• Rhythmic flexibility within a phrase or measure; a relaxation of strict time. (noun)
• Containing or characterized by rubato. (adjective)

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.

• "Minute adjustments in just the right places (aka rubato) can make the music broaden out or seem hurried, or languid ... it's the power to create emotion in time."
• "I love the word "rubato," which means you can mess around with the time as needed."
• "I love it that the word "rubato," from the Italian, means, literally, "robbed.""