ostinatonoun [ C ]
uk/ɒs.tɪˈnɑː.təʊ//ɑː.stɪˈnɑː.t̬oʊ/plural ostinatos or or ostinati specializeda musical phrase (= group of notes) or rhythm that is repeated many times in the course of a longer piece:
She finds Einhorn's chants and use of ostinatos are effective at building tension.