Suddenly or immediately, as if by magic. Often used as an exclamation to indicate something has happened quickly or miraculously.
From Italian 'presto' meaning 'quick, ready', derived from Latin 'praestus' meaning 'ready at hand'. The word entered English in the late 16th century through musical terminology, where it indicated a very fast tempo, and later extended to general use meaning 'suddenly' or 'immediately'.
Magicians popularized 'presto' as part of the phrase 'hey presto!' to dramatically announce the completion of a trick, playing on the word's musical origins where it meant 'as fast as possible.' Interestingly, the word shares its Latin root with 'present' and 'prestigious', all relating to being 'ready' or 'at hand'.
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