1724 Short Explic. Foreign Words Musick Bks. 48 Musico, is a Musician, or Musick-Master; or one who either Composes, Performs, or Teacheth Musick.

1740 J. Grassineau tr. S. De Brossard Musical Dict. 156 Musico, a Musician, whether he be a composer, or player; but custom has in some measure restrained the word to the player, rather than the composer.

1881 W. S. Gilbert Patience i. 6 The science of Jullien, the eminent musico.

1898 W. S. Gilbert Bab Ballads (ed. 6) 49 Mozart, that unparalleled musico.

1821 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto IV lxxxvi. 114 The Musico is but a crack'd old basin.

1867 Catholic World Nov. 254/2 Farinelli..begged to know..if there would be a part in the opera for ‘il famous musico Farinelli?’

1896 Cent. Mag. July 335/1 The so-called ‘musico’, or artificial soprano, is never allowed to sing in the Chapel of the Choir.

1942 A. E. W. Mason Musk & Amber xi. 107 Those bygone victims of a barbarous custom, the sopranos, the musici as they were called.

2000 J. Rosselli in J. Potter Cambr. Compan. Singing viii. 99 The disappearance of castrati meant that from about 1800 Italian serious opera cast as the lover a female contralto in breeches, not now exceptionally but as a matter of routine; she was known by the old euphemism for a castrato—musico.