Tchaikovsky

American

[chahy-kawf-skee, -kof-, chi-] / tʃaɪˈkɔf ski, -ˈkɒf-, tʃɪ- /

Also Tschaikowsky.

noun

Peter Ilyich or Pëtr Ilich 1840–93, Russian composer.

Tchaikovsky British

/ tʃaɪˈkɒfskɪ, tʃɪjˈkɔfskij /

noun

Pyotr Ilyich (pjɔtr iljˈjitʃ). 1840–93, Russian composer. His works, which are noted for their expressive melodies, include the Sixth Symphony (the Pathétique; 1893), ballets, esp Swan Lake (1876) and The Sleeping Beauty (1889), and operas, including Eugene Onegin (1879) and The Queen of Spades (1890), both based on works by Pushkin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By 1974, it was Tchaikovsky one moment and a wonderfully crazy avant-garde opera the next.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

He got a contract with the distinguished German record label Deutsche Grammophon and made exciting records with the orchestra of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Ives and modern Americans.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

But Chamberlain was cast as Tchaikovsky in Ken Russell's overblown biopic, The Music Lovers, in which he starred opposite Glenda Jackson.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2025

In 2019, he took first prize in the main Tchaikovsky Competition, followed in 2023 by the Gilmore Artist Award — two of the most attention-getting honors for a young pianist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025

He stocked it with her music workbooks and sheaves of invigorating Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and a selection of Chopin.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023