stac·ca·to 
(stə-kätō)
(stə-kätō)adj.
1. Music Cut short crisply; detached: staccato octaves.
2. Marked by or composed of abrupt, disconnected parts or sounds: staccato applause.
n. pl. stac·ca·tos or stac·ca·ti (-tē)
A staccato manner or sound.
[Italian, past participle of staccare, to detach, short for distaccare, from obsolete French destacher, from Old French destachier; see DETACH.]
stac·cato adv.