Fermata

(It.: ‘pause’).

The sign of the corona or point surmounted by a semicircle showing the end of a phrase or indicating the prolongation of a note or a rest beyond its usual value. ‘Fermata’ came into American usage during the 19th century; H.W. Pilkington, in A Musical Dictionary (Boston, 1812), still gave only ‘pause’, but both fermata and Pause are now used for this sign. See also Organ point.

DAVID FULLER