A musical term short for 'glissando,' referring to a smooth sliding transition between two notes on an instrument.
Shortened form of 'glissando,' which comes from Italian 'glissare' (to slide), derived from Old French 'glissier' meaning 'to slip.' The musical technique mimics the physical motion of sliding.
Glissandos are so characteristic of certain instruments that they define the instrument's voice—the trombone's gliss is instantly recognizable, while a piano glissando requires physically dragging your fingernail across the keys, a technique Gershwin immortalized in 'Rhapsody in Blue.'
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