Presto is a word magicians say when they want to create a sense of instant transformation. It comes from Italian and means “quickly” or “suddenly.” A magician may say “Presto!” before they pull a rabbit out of a hat.

You'll hear presto when someone wants to emphasize how fast something happened or changed. A chef might say, “Add the eggs, stir them in, and presto, you've got pasta dough!” A friend explaining a magic trick might say, “Then you fold the paper twice and, presto, it's a crane!” The word captures that exciting moment when something transforms right before your eyes.

In music, presto is a tempo marking that tells musicians to play very fast, faster than allegro (which means lively and quick). When you see presto at the top of sheet music, get ready: your fingers need to fly across the keys or strings.