n.
Pronunciation: ˌ äs-t ə - ' nä-( ˌ )t ō , ˌ o ̇ s-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -tos also -ti \ -t ē \
Etymology: Italian, obstinate, from Latin obstinatus
Date: circa 1876
: a musical figure repeated persistently at the same pitch throughout a composition ― compare IMITATION , SEQUENCE