n.
Pronunciation: k ə - ' den-z ə
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian, cadence, cadenza
Date: 1784
1 : a parenthetical flourish in an aria or other solo piece commonly just before a final or other important cadence
2 : a technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto
3 : an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic and especially a literary work