1. to be silent or remain quiet, especially as a musical direction indicating that an instrument or voice should not play or sing
Usage: musical term

1. a musical direction or passage indicating silence for a particular instrument or voice
Usage: musical term

Examples

• The violins tacet during the entire second movement.
• The conductor signaled for the brass section to tacet.
• There’s a long tacet for the piano in this piece.
• The score shows tacet for the flutes in measures 20-35.
• During the tacet, the musician counted beats silently.
• The composer wrote tacet above the trumpet part.