with affection and tenderness (a musical direction)
noun
2.
a composition or movement of gentle, tender character
Word origin
[1715–25; ‹ It: affecting, moving ‹ L affectuōsus, equiv. to affectu(s) affect1 + -ōsus-ous]This word is first recorded in the period 1715–25. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: blackleg, dugout, federation, hallmark, leverage