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A little, slightly. A diminisher: poco ritardando (slow down a little), poco a poco (little by little).
Poco tempers whatever it modifies. "Poco a poco crescendo" means a very gradual increase in volume. "Poco ritardando" means slow down only slightly. Use it for subtle, controlled changes that should not be overdone.
Ravel frequently writes "poco a poco crescendo" — the gradual build is essential to his aesthetic of controlled orchestral color.
Poco is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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