Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/A/Arco

by John Weeks Moore

Arco, (I.) or ARC. The bow ; the utensil with which the violin, viola, viol da gamba, violoncello, and double bass are performed. This word is frequently used in violin music, in opposition to the term pizzicato, to denote that the bow is again to be used, instead of applying the fingers to the strings.