alto

¹ American  

[al-toh] / ˈæl toʊ /

noun

plural

altos

1. the lowest female voice; contralto.

2. the highest male voice; countertenor.

3. a singer with such a voice.

4. a musical part for such a voice.

5. the second highest of the four parts of a mixed vocal chorus, or the voices or persons singing this part.

6. the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments, as the viola in the violin family or the althorn in the cornet family.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the tonal range of the alto.

2. (of a musical instrument) second highest in a family of musical instruments.

   alto saxophone.

alto- ² American  

1. variant of alti-.

   altostratus.

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alto- ¹ British  

combining form

1. high

   altocumulus

   altostratus

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alto ² British  

/ ˈæltəʊ /

noun

1. the highest adult male voice; countertenor

2. (in choral singing) a shortened form of contralto

3. a singer with such a voice

4. another name for viola 1

5. a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

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adjective

1. denoting a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

alto Cultural  

1. The lowest range of the female singing voice, also called contralto. (Compare mezzo soprano and soprano.)

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Etymology

Origin of alto

1775–85; < Italian < Latin altus high

Example Sentences

Immanuel Wilkins’s alto saxophone and Joel Ross’s vibraphone initially function as dual narrators.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Strasbourg 82” displays how he shaped a cohesive whole from the voices of musicians mostly decades his junior, and how he nurtured future stars including, here, Mr. Blanchard and alto saxophonist Donald Harrison.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her emotive alto would soon carry well beyond Brazil’s borders; the band landed a coveted gig for NPR’s Tiny Desk series in 2018.

From Los Angeles Times

This allusive track boasts the album’s most sweeping chorus, anchored by Swift’s mesmeric alto and a masterfully orchestrated rhythm that uses moments of quiet to its advantage.

From Los Angeles Times

I was in marching band when I was in high school, I played the alto saxophone.

From Los Angeles Times