Vibrato comes from Italian 'vibrato' ('vibrated'), past participle of 'vibrare' ('to vibrate'), from Latin 'vibrare' ('to shake, brandish'). In current use it is a noun meaning "a slight, rapid wavering of pitch in singing or instrumental playing". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. The historical chain includes Italian vibrato and Latin vibrare. Related English forms include vibrate, vibration, and vibrant. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.