alto
[ al-toh ]
/ ˈæl toʊ /
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noun, plural al·tos.
adjective
of, relating to, or having the tonal range of the alto.
(of a musical instrument) second highest in a family of musical instruments: alto saxophone.
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Origin of alto
1775–85; <Italian <Latin altus high
Words nearby alto
Definition for alto (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for alto
British Dictionary definitions for alto (1 of 2)
alto
/ (ˈæltəʊ) /
noun plural -tos
the highest adult male voice; countertenor
(in choral singing) a shortened form of contralto
a singer with such a voice
another name for viola 1 (def. 1)
a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group
adjective
denoting a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group
Word Origin for alto
C18: from Italian: high, from Latin altus
British Dictionary definitions for alto (2 of 2)
alto-
combining form
highaltocumulus; altostratus
Word Origin for alto-
from Latin altus high
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
Cultural definitions for alto
alto
The lowest range of the female singing voice, also called contralto. (Compare mezzo soprano and soprano.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.