piano

¹

[ pee-an-oh, pyan-oh ]

noun

, plural pi·an·os.

1. a musical instrument in which felt-covered hammers, operated from a keyboard, strike the metal strings.

piano

²

[ pee-ah-noh; Italian pyah-naw ]

adjective

1. soft; subdued.

adverb

1. softly. : p, p.

Piano

¹

/ pjˈɑno /

noun

1. PianoRenzo1937MItalianARCHITECTURE: architect Renzo. born 1937, Italian architect; buildings include the Pompidou Centre, Paris (1977; with Richard Rogers), the Potsdamer Platz redevelopment, Berlin (1998), and The Shard, London (2012)

piano

²

/ ˈpjɑːnəʊ /

adjective

1. music (to be performed) softly p

piano

³

/ pɪˈænəʊ /

noun

1. a musical stringed instrument resembling a harp set in a vertical or horizontal frame, played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike the strings and produce audible vibrations See also grand piano upright piano

piano

1. A musical direction meaning “to be performed softly”; the opposite of forte . As the name of a musical instrument, it is short for pianoforte .

Word History and Origins

Origin of piano¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; short for pianoforte

Origin of piano²

1675–85; < Italian: soft, low (of sounds), plain, flat < Latin plānus plain ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of piano¹

C17: from Italian, from Latin plānus flat; see plain ¹

Origin of piano²

C19: short for pianoforte

Example Sentences

“Punish,” the latest offering from the Southern Gothic alt-pop star Ethel Cain, is a smoldering slow burn, a sparse piano ballad that stretches for nearly seven minutes and gradually corrodes.

From New York Times

That seesawing piano riff on the soundtrack could be rain droplets or an improvisatory theme for a couple lolling around an open-air market trying on sunglasses.

From Los Angeles Times

Check Felipe the frog, whose piano is constructed in part out of a chocolate box.

From Los Angeles Times

She spent quality time with her grandma who lives in China, brushed up her skills on the piano and read a stack of books.

From BBC

When Myles Smith reflects on his journey - from an 11-year-old kid playing guitar and piano to a charting artist - he feels he's continuously exceeded his own expectations.

From BBC

Related Words

• grand piano
• instrument
• keyboard