presto
UK[ˈprɛstəʊ]US[ˈprɛstoʊ]
adv
Suddenly, or immediately.
n
A piece of music played at a very fast tempo.
interj
Said when something appears or is done so quickly that it seems like magic.
Etymology
The word 'presto' entered English in the late 16th century directly from Italian, where it functions as an adverb meaning "quick, quickly, soon, or ready." The Italian term itself derives from the Late Latin 'praestus,' meaning "ready, at hand," which is a contracted form of the Latin 'praesto,' a preposition/adverb meaning "at hand, ready, present." This Latin root is thought to be a combination of 'prae-' ("before") and a form related to 'stare' ("to stand"), thus conveying the sense of "standing before" or "being present." In English, its musical sense for a very fast tempo emerged in the 17th century, while its use as a magician's exclamation to signal a sudden, surprising result developed in the 19th century, perfectly capturing the word's core semantic thread of immediacy and readiness.
Analysis
The word 'presto' is a simplex loanword from Italian. It functions as a whole unit in English, borrowed with its spelling and meanings intact.
Examples
The magician waved his wand and, presto, the rabbit vanished.
The final movement of the sonata is marked presto.
Just add water, stir, and presto—you have an instant meal.