What is the definition of an ostinarto?

Answer 1

Ostinato is the correct spelling. It is an Italian word meaning "stubborn". The English word "obstinate" comes from it.

Ostinato is a musical term for a phrase or rhythm repeated over and over ("obstinate"??), often in the bass part. A good example of an ostinato is the repeated eighth note bass pattern played in Boogies. Another good example is the ostinato rhythm used over and over in Maurice Ravel's Bolero.