piano

A1 Topic:Music Theory

US /piˈænoʊ/ UK /ˈpjænəʊ/ See IPA manual

Freq #2179

Meanings

1

noun
A large musical instrument with a keyboard of black and white keys that you press to make sounds.

She practises the piano for an hour every evening.
2

adv
In music, a direction meaning to play softly and quietly.

The composer marked this gentle passage to be played piano.
3

verb
To play the piano.

He pianoed quietly while the guests arrived.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a large musical instrument... pianoforte

Word family

Forms pianos

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

piano tuner
a specialist who adjusts piano strings to produce the correct pitches

Noun + noun
piano stool
a backless seat used by someone playing a piano

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Piano comes from Italian piano, meaning “softly.” It is a shortening of pianoforte, a name referring to the instrument’s ability to be played both softly and loudly with graduated volume.

Etymology

Clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). So named because it could produce a wide range of varied volumes note-by-note, in contrast to older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord. Doublet of llano, plain, and plane.

*pleh₂- Proto-Indo-European pianoforte Italian

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Music Theory Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# piano

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, adv, verb
**IPA (US):** /piˈænoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpjænəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 2179

## Meanings
1. A large musical instrument with a keyboard of black and white keys that you press to make sounds.
2. In music, a direction meaning to play softly and quietly.
3. To play the piano.

## Examples
- She practises the piano for an hour every evening.
- The composer marked this gentle passage to be played piano.
- He pianoed quietly while the guests arrived.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pleh₂-
- Root: pianoforte

## Etymology
Clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). So named because it could produce a wide range of varied volumes note-by-note, in contrast to older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord. Doublet of llano, plain, and plane.

## AI Etymology
Piano is a clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). So named because it could produce a wide range of varied volumes note-by-note, in contrast to older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord. Doublet of llano, plain, and plane. In present-day English it covers a large musical instrument with a keyboard of black and white keys that you press to make sounds, in music, a direction meaning to play softly and quietly, and to play the piano.

## Topics
- Music Theory
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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