Violin

//ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin and played with a bow.

    "When I play it like this, it's a fiddle; when I play it like this, it's a violin."

  2. 2
    bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow wordnet
  3. 3
    Any instrument of the violin family, always inclusive of violins, violas and cellos, and sometimes further including the double bass. proscribed, sometimes

    "The string quartet, one of the most popular groupings in chamber music, is composed entirely of violins: two violins proper, one viola, and one cello."

  4. 4
    A violinist in an orchestra or group. metonymically

    "The violins are seated with sufficient elbow room."

Verb
  1. 1
    To play on, or as if on, a violin. ambitransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
fiddlefiddlea stringamatibassbass viol

Example

More examples

"You should practice playing the violin every day."

Etymology

From Italian violino (“little viola”), from viola + -ino (forming diminutives).

Related phrases

Chinese violinStroh violinbass violinelectric violinfalse violin spiderfirst violinhorn violinhorn-violinkit violinkit-violinnail violinpiano-violin

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.