n. A piece of melody, a chord progression, or a bass figure that is repeated over and over as a musical accompaniment.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a musical phrase repeated over and over during a composition
Word Usage
"Herrmann also introduced audiences to his affection for ostinato—short, repeated phrases of a few notes—a device he would use repeatedly throughout his career."