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piano

UK/piˈɑːnəʊ/ US/ˈpjɑːnəʊ/ common
noun (2) adjective (1) adverb (1)

noun

1.

a stall where newspapers and other periodicals are sold

Synonyms
2.

adjective

1.

used chiefly as a direction or description in music

  • “the piano passages in the composition”
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Similar

adverb

1.

used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly

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Origin

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, plane, and plan.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.