piano
English
Etymology 1
Short form 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.
Pronunciation
- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /piˈænoʊ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /piˈænəʊ/
- (obsolete, nonstandard) IPA(key): /paɪˈænoʊ/[1]
Audio (UK) (file)
Noun
piano (plural pianos)
![](Images/wiktionary/Pianodroit.jpg.webp)
![](Images/wiktionary/Fortepian_Wolkenhauer.jpg.webp)
- (music) a percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings [from 1803]
- Synonym: (dated) pianoforte
- The piano in his house takes up a lot of space.
- She has been taking lessons for many years and now plays piano very well.
- Coordinate terms: cembalo, clavichord, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, synthesizer, synth
Derived terms
- barrel piano
- dumb piano
- electric piano
- finger piano
- grand piano
- pianist
- piano accordion
- pianoist
- pianola
- piano player
- piano wire
- player piano
- square piano
- thumb piano
- upright piano
Translations
|
Verb
piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)
- To play the piano.
- 1967, Harry F. Chaplin, A McCrae Miscellany, page 41:
- Anyhow I pianoed to my own ear, and had no thought at that time for an audience.
- 1978, Bertha Harris, Confessions of Cherubino, page 96:
- Who comforted me with Madeleines and lime tea, with whipped cream in my cocoa in far off Ann Arbor while others selfishly fiddled, bassooned, pianoed only for their own ugly self-advancement!
- 2008, John Gruen, Callas Kissed Me...Lenny Too!, page 138:
- John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, Arnold Weinstein, and others came to the house, taping their poems as I pianoed and zithered and drummed away.
- 2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē, page 139:
- We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.
-
- (of or with fingers) To move (the fingers) up and down on, similar to the motions of a pianist playing the piano.
- 2013, Ann Blair Kloman, A Diamond to Die For, page 29:
- He just stared at her, leaned back in his chair and pianoed his fingers along the tablecloth.
- 2017, Kim Michele Richardson, The Sisters of Glass Ferry:
- “Jean, it ain't right how you separated those two,” he said, and pianoed the little coffin with his fingers, tapping out his grievance.
- 2020, Simon Lelic, The Search Party:
- The superintendent pianoed his fingers on the surface of a nearby desk.
- 2021, Emilya Naymark, Hide in Place:
- Holly pianoed her fingers over her throat.
-
- To equip with a piano.
- 1889, The Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer, page 128:
- Other buildings will also be erected and pianoed by the same architect.
- 1892, The Japan Daily Mail - Volume 18, page 772:
- A tabernacle has been built, burnt, rebuilt, electric lighted, organed, pianoed, and frequently filled — all during the last two years.
-
References
- Meredith, L. P. (1872), “Piano”, in Every-Day Errors of Speech, Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott & Co., page 35.
Etymology 2
From Italian piano.
Pronunciation
- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /piˈɑnoʊ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /piˈɑːnəʊ/
Adverb
![](Images/wiktionary/Music-piano.png.webp)
piano (not comparable)
- (music) softly, as a musical direction (abbreviated to p. in sheet music) [from 17th c.]
Related terms
- mezzo piano, mp
- niente, n
- pianissimo, pp
Translations
|
Adjective
piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)
- (music) Soft, quiet.
- (in extended use) Gentle, soft, subdued.
- 1817 December, [Jane Austen], chapter XVIII, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume IV, London: John Murray, […], 1818, OCLC 318384910:
- “Oh! yes, yes, there is not a word to be said against James Benwick […] that soft sort of manner does not do him justice.” […]
“Well, well, ladies are the best judges; but James Benwick is rather too piano for me […] ”
- 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, page 160:
- ‘Tradecraft, Chris,’ Enderby put in, who liked his bit of jargon, and Martindale, still piano, shot him a glance of admiration.
-
Verb
piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)
- To become softer and less intense.
- 1839, Rosina Doyle Bulwer afterwards Bulwer Lytton (Baroness Lytton.), Cheveley; Or, The Man of Honour, page 385:
- “You know, Mrs. Wrigglechops,” pianoed Miss Drucilla , even more meekly and mildly than before, "the ace is either one or eleven."
- 2000, David R. Beasley, Aspects of Love: Three novellas, page 83:
- His tone pianoed on intimacy.
- 2009, David Lau, Virgil and the Mountain Cat, page 61:
- A day pianoed, swelled acutest, pianoed.
-
Further reading
piano on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- NAIOP
Albanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /piˈanɔ/
Noun
piano f (indefinite plural piano, definite singular pianoja, definite plural pianot)
- (music) piano
Azerbaijani
Cyrillic | пиано | |
---|---|---|
Perso-Arabic |
Etymology
Ultimately from Italian piano.
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
piano (definite accusative pianonu, plural pianolar)
- (music) piano
Declension
Declension of piano | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular | plural | |||||||
nominative | piano | pianolar | ||||||
definite accusative | pianonu | pianoları | ||||||
dative | pianoya | pianolara | ||||||
locative | pianoda | pianolarda | ||||||
ablative | pianodan | pianolardan | ||||||
definite genitive | pianonun | pianoların |
Possessive forms of piano | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianom | pianolarım | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianon | pianoların | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosu | pianoları | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuz | pianolarımız | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuz | pianolarınız | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosu or pianoları | pianoları | ||||||
accusative | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianomu | pianolarımı | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianonu | pianolarını | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosunu | pianolarını | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuzu | pianolarımızı | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuzu | pianolarınızı | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosunu or pianolarını | pianolarını | ||||||
dative | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianoma | pianolarıma | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianona | pianolarına | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosuna | pianolarına | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuza | pianolarımıza | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuza | pianolarınıza | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosuna or pianolarına | pianolarına | ||||||
locative | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianomda | pianolarımda | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianonda | pianolarında | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosunda | pianolarında | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuzda | pianolarımızda | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuzda | pianolarınızda | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosunda or pianolarında | pianolarında | ||||||
ablative | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianomdan | pianolarımdan | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianondan | pianolarından | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosundan | pianolarından | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuzdan | pianolarımızdan | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuzdan | pianolarınızdan | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosundan or pianolarından | pianolarından | ||||||
genitive | ||||||||
singular | plural | |||||||
mənim (“my”) | pianomun | pianolarımın | ||||||
sənin (“your”) | pianonun | pianolarının | ||||||
onun (“his/her/its”) | pianosunun | pianolarının | ||||||
bizim (“our”) | pianomuzun | pianolarımızın | ||||||
sizin (“your”) | pianonuzun | pianolarınızın | ||||||
onların (“their”) | pianosunun or pianolarının | pianolarının |
Catalan
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Valencian) IPA(key): /piˈa.no/
- (Central) IPA(key): /piˈa.nu/
Audio (file)
Noun
piano m (plural pianos)
- (music) piano
Czech
Etymology
From Italian piano.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈpɪjano], [ˈpɪjaːno]
- Hyphenation: pia‧no
Noun
piano n
- (music) piano
- Synonyms: klavír, klimpr
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | piano | piana |
genitive | piana | pian |
dative | pianu | pianům |
accusative | piano | piana |
vocative | piano | piana |
locative | pianě, pianu | pianech |
instrumental | pianem | piany |
Further reading
- piano in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
- piano in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from French piano, from Italian piano, shortening of pianoforte.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /piˈaːnoː/
audio (file) - Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no
- Rhymes: -aːnoː
Noun
piano f or n (plural piano's, diminutive pianootje n)
- (music) piano
- Synonym: pianoforte
Derived terms
- pianobouwer
- pianoles
- pianospel
Esperanto
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [piˈano]
- Audio:
(file) - Rhymes: -ano
- Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no
Noun
piano (accusative singular pianon, plural pianoj, accusative plural pianojn)
- (music) piano
Derived terms
- pianistino
- pianisto
Finnish
Etymology
From Italian piano.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpiɑno/, [ˈpiɑno̞]
- Rhymes: -iɑno
- Syllabification(key): pi‧a‧no
Noun
piano
- (music) piano
Declension
Inflection of piano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | piano | pianot | |
genitive | pianon | pianojen | |
partitive | pianoa | pianoja | |
illative | pianoon | pianoihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | piano | pianot | |
accusative | nom. | piano | pianot |
gen. | pianon | ||
genitive | pianon | pianojen | |
partitive | pianoa | pianoja | |
inessive | pianossa | pianoissa | |
elative | pianosta | pianoista | |
illative | pianoon | pianoihin | |
adessive | pianolla | pianoilla | |
ablative | pianolta | pianoilta | |
allative | pianolle | pianoille | |
essive | pianona | pianoina | |
translative | pianoksi | pianoiksi | |
instructive | — | pianoin | |
abessive | pianotta | pianoitta | |
comitative | — | pianoineen |
Possessive forms of piano (type valo) | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | singular | plural |
1st person | pianoni | pianomme |
2nd person | pianosi | pianonne |
3rd person | pianonsa |
Derived terms
- pianisti
Compounds
- konserttipiano
- pianohaitari
- pianoharmonikka
- pianokappale
- pianokonsertti
- pianokonsertto
- pianokoulu
- pianokvartetti
- pianokvartetto
- pianokvintetti
- pianokvintetto
- pianomusiikki
- pianonkieli
- piano-oppilas
- pianosolisti
- pianosonaatti
- pianosoolo
- pianosovitus
- pianosävellys
- pianoteos
- pianotrio
- pianotunti
- pianotuoli
- sähköpiano
- taffelipiano
Anagrams
- apoin, paino, paoin, pinoa, ponia
French
Etymology
From Italian piano. Doublet of plain and plan.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pja.no/
audio (file)
Noun
piano m (plural pianos)
- (music) piano
- Il joue du piano avec compétence.
- He plays the piano competently.
- 1986, “Il était une fois … une maison des musiciens [There Once Was… a House of Musicians]”, in Il était une fois … une petite grenouille [There Once Was… a Little Frog] (fiction), Paris: CLE International:
- Je n’aime pas le piano. Je préfère le football.
Hein ! Quoi ! Et tu me dis ça à moi, le grand professeur Trompette ? Tiens ! Répète ta leçon cinq fois ! Non, dix fois !
Je déteste le piano !- I don’t like the piano. I like football more.
Huh? What? And you’re telling that to me, the great professor Trumpet? Alright then! Repeat what you’ve learned five times! No, ten times!
I hate the piano!
- I don’t like the piano. I like football more.
Derived terms
- piano à queue
- piano droit
Further reading
- “piano”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian
Etymology 1
From Latin plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpja.no/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ano
- Hyphenation: pià‧no
Adjective
piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane, superlative pianissimo)
- plane
- flat, level
- Synonym: piatto
- plain
- soft
- Antonym: forte
- penultimate accented
Derived terms
- pianamente
See also
- levigato
- liscio
Noun
piano m (plural piani)
- plane
- floor, storey(British), story(US) (of a building)
- plan, tactic, stratagem, scheme, plot
- (music) piano, as short for pianoforte
Synonyms
- progetto
- proposito
Adverb
piano (superlative pianissimo)
- slowly
- carefully
- (music) piano
Related terms
- piana
- pianificazione
- pianista
- pianola
- piano piano/ pian piano
Further reading
- piano1 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
- piano2 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
- piano3 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Etymology 2
From Pio + -ano.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /piˈa.no/
- Rhymes: -ano
- Hyphenation: pi‧à‧no
Adjective
piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane)
- (relational) of any of the popes named Pius; Pian
- Ordine Piano ― Pian Order, Order of Pope Pius IX
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpi.a.no/
- Rhymes: -iano
- Hyphenation: pì‧a‧no
Verb
piano
- third-person plural present indicative of piare (“to chirp, to cheep”)
Anagrams
- opina, paion
Japanese
Romanization
piano
- Rōmaji transcription of ピアノ
Malay
Noun
piano (Jawi spelling ڤيانو, plural piano-piano, informal 1st possessive pianoku, 2nd possessive pianomu, 3rd possessive pianonya)
- piano
Further reading
- “piano” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.
Marshallese
Etymology
Borrowed from English piano, short form of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). The Italian word piano is from Latin plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.
Pronunciation
- (phonetic) IPA(key): [pʲiɑːnʲɔ], (enunciated) [pʲiɑ nʲɔ]
- (phonemic) IPA(key): /pʲijæɰnʲɛw/
- Bender phonemes: {piyahnew}
Noun
piano (construct form pianoin)
- a piano
Verb
piano (person noun ri-piano)
- to play the piano
References
- Marshallese–English Online Dictionary
Norman
Etymology
Borrowed from English piano and French piano.
Noun
piano m (plural pianos)
- (Jersey, music) piano
Derived terms
- pianiste (“pianist”)
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano or pianoer, definite plural pianoa or pianoene)
- (music) piano
Related terms
- flygel
- klaver
Norwegian Nynorsk
Noun
piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano, definite plural pianoa)
- (music) piano
Related terms
- flygel
- klaver
Polish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpja.nɔ/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -anɔ
- Syllabification: pia‧no
Noun
piano f
- vocative singular of piana
Portuguese
![](Images/wiktionary/Fortepian_Wolkenhauer.jpg.webp)
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian piano,[1] short form of pianoforte. Doublet of plano, chão, and porão.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /piˈɐ̃.nu/ [pɪˈɐ̃.nu]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /piˈɐ.no/ [pɪˈɐ.no]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˈpjɐ.nu/
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐnu, (Brazil) -ɐ̃nu
- Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no
Adjective
piano
- piano
Adverb
piano
- (music) piano, soft
- (music) piano, slowly
Noun
piano m (plural pianos)
- (music) piano
Related terms
- pianista
Descendants
- → Hunsrik: Piano
References
- “piano” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2023.
Romanian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Italian piano.
Adverb
piano
- piano
Slovak
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpianɔ/
Adverb
piano
- musical directive to play softly
Noun
piano m (genitive singular piana, nominative plural pianá, genitive plural pián, declension pattern of mesto)
- (music) piano
- Synonym: klavír
- a very soft sound
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | piano | pianá |
genitive | piana | pián |
dative | pianu | pianám |
accusative | piano | pianá |
locative | piane | pianách |
instrumental | pianom | pianami |
Further reading
- piano in Slovak dictionaries at slovnik.juls.savba.sk
Spanish
Etymology
Clipping of pianoforte.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpjano/ [ˈpja.no]
Audio (Colombia) (file) - Rhymes: -ano
- Syllabification: pia‧no
Noun
piano m (plural pianos)
- (music) piano
Derived terms
- piano de cola
- piano de media cola
- piano eléctrica
Related terms
- pianista
Descendants
- → Tagalog: piyano
- → Waray-Waray: piyano
Further reading
- “piano”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
piano n
- (music) piano
Declension
Declension of piano | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | piano | pianot | pianon | pianona |
Genitive | pianos | pianots | pianons | pianonas |
See also
- ta det piano
- flygel
Veps
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun
piano
- (music) piano
Inflection
Inflection of piano (inflection type 1/ilo) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative sing. | piano | ||
genitive sing. | pianon | ||
partitive sing. | pianod | ||
partitive plur. | pianoid | ||
singular | plural | ||
nominative | piano | pianod | |
accusative | pianon | pianod | |
genitive | pianon | pianoiden | |
partitive | pianod | pianoid | |
essive-instructive | pianon | pianoin | |
translative | pianoks | pianoikš | |
inessive | pianos | pianoiš | |
elative | pianospäi | pianoišpäi | |
illative | pianoho | pianoihe | |
adessive | pianol | pianoil | |
ablative | pianolpäi | pianoilpäi | |
allative | pianole | pianoile | |
abessive | pianota | pianoita | |
comitative | pianonke | pianoidenke | |
prolative | pianodme | pianoidme | |
approximative I | pianonno | pianoidenno | |
approximative II | pianonnoks | pianoidennoks | |
egressive | pianonnopäi | pianoidennopäi | |
terminative I | pianohosai | pianoihesai | |
terminative II | pianolesai | pianoilesai | |
terminative III | pianossai | — | |
additive I | pianohopäi | pianoihepäi | |
additive II | pianolepäi | pianoilepäi |
References
- Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “пианино”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary], Petrozavodsk: Periodika