Definition of obligato:

part of speech: adjective

In music, applied to a movement restrained by certain rules; giving emphasis or expression to a passage.

Usage examples:

• I am not yet sufficiently resourceful to take it out in a quietly tearful obligato I never learned how to produce tears. Robert W. Chambers in "The Fighting Chance".

• There had been another concert and, among other things, Frances had sung Gounod's " Ave Maria" while Paul had played the obligato George van Schaick in "A Top-Floor Idyl".

• " Oh, that we two were lying Under the churchyard sod," sang Constance, voicing the pent- up longing of Kingsley's tenderly regretful words and Nevin's wistful setting, while the violin sang a subdued, pensive obligato Pauline Lester in "Marjorie Dean High School Freshman".

• Besides these large works he has written a number of songs, of which five are with viola obligato Henry C. Lahee in "Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday".