piccolo

American  

[pik-uh-loh] / ˈpɪk əˌloʊ /

noun

plural

piccolos

1. a small flute sounding an octave higher than the ordinary flute.

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piccolo British  

/ ˈpɪkəˌləʊ /

noun

1. a woodwind instrument, the smallest member of the flute family, lying an octave above that of the flute See flute

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piccolo Cultural  

1. A small, high-pitched flute.

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Etymology

Origin of piccolo

1855–60; < Italian: literally, small

Explanation

Many orchestras include a piccolo, which is a small, high-pitched flute. The word piccolo is in the fairly extensive group of Italian words that designate musical instruments and other musical terms. A piccolo is a small flute that plays an octave higher than an ordinary one; the word comes, appropriately enough, from the Italian for "small," which is also piccolo.

Example Sentences

“Amazon is effectively solving its FCC deadline problem by acquiring a functioning satellite operator while also leapfrogging into direct-to-device connectivity, a market SpaceX’s Starlink has been targeting,” Wedbush analyst Michael Piccolo wrote Wednesday.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Ella's Kitchen, for example, describes savoury products as "perfectly balanced for growing babies", while Piccolo claims many pouches are "packed with goodness".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

Uber, Disney’s lawyers attempted to block the case from proceeding to court, citing an arbitration clause Piccolo agreed to in 2019 when subscribing to a trial of Disney+.

From Slate • Oct. 7, 2024

Jeffrey Piccolo sued Disney in February, alleging that his wife died of a severe allergic reaction after eating at a restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2024

Piccolo and other wild instruments depict the fury of the demons, a parody on the Dies Iræ follows, and83 even the tender love-theme is not spared, but is turned into the most vulgar of waltzes.

From Woman's Work in Music by Elson, Arthur