/rit'euhr nel"oh/ ; It. /rddee'tawrdd nel"law/ , n. , pl. ritornellos, ritornelli /-lee/ . Music.
1. an orchestral interlude between arias, scenes, or acts in 17th-century opera.
2. a tutti section in a concerto grosso, aria, etc.
[ 1665-75; ritorno RETURN ]