1. Plural of ottava; a stanza or verse form of eight lines, typically in iambic pentameter, used especially in Italian and Spanish poetry.
Usage: literary; also called octave in English poetry
2. In music, plural of ottava; an interval spanning eight diatonic scale degrees, or a notation indicating that notes should be played an octave higher or lower.
Usage: musical term; often abbreviated as 8va

Examples

• The poet composed three ottavas in the style of Petrarch.
• Dante's Divine Comedy employs ottavas as a key structural element.
• The sheet music marked several passages with ottavas to indicate they should be played higher.
• In Renaissance literature, ottavas were a popular form for narrative verse.
• The conductor instructed the violins to play the passage in ottavas for a brighter sound.