cello

¹ American  

[chel-oh] / ˈtʃɛl oʊ /

noun

• cellos
  plural

1. the second largest member of the violin family, rested vertically on the floor between the performer's knees when being played.

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cello ² American  

[sel-oh] / ˈsɛl oʊ /

noun

Informal.

1. cellophane.

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cello British  

/ ˈtʃɛləʊ /

noun

1. Full name: violoncello. music a bowed stringed instrument of the violin family. Range: more than four octaves upwards from C below the bass staff. It has four strings, is held between the knees, and has an extendible metal spike at the lower end, which acts as a support

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cello Cultural  

1. An instrument in the violin family, known for its rich tone. Among the strings, or stringed instruments, the cello has the second-lowest range, higher only than the bass viol, and it has the lowest part in string quartets. Cellists hold the instrument between their knees to play it. Cello is short for violoncello.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cellist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cellos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cello¹

First recorded in 1875–80; short for violoncello

Origin of cello²

By shortening

Explanation

A cello is a large, stringed musical instrument. A cellist has to sit in a chair to play a cello. One end of a cello rests on the floor as it's played, with the neck upright. The cellist forms notes with her fingers on the strings and pulls a bow across the body of the cello. Cellos are an important part of an orchestra, though they're often featured in contemporary popular music as well. The word is short for the Italian violincello, which ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin vitula, "stringed instrument."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cello cellos

Pedro Pascal learned to play the cello for his starring role in upcoming film "Behemoth!" from Oscar-winning writer-director Tony Gilroy.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

He didn’t care about Steven’s devotion to learning the cello.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Yo-Yo Ma closed his eyes as he drew a bow slowly across his cello, playing the first notes of the Catalan lullaby “The Song of the Birds.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

He played cello and piano as a child, but his first real intimations of a career in sound began when he attended the progressive Stockbridge School in Massachusetts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

After five minutes, Pauline twitched her thumb, and the cello woman was replaced by an Ansel Adams landscape, Mount McKinley glowering over a lake of pure white.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

She has created both a three-day “Jazz String Summit” in Chicago and a 15-piece Stringtet, of mostly violins, violas, cellos and basses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

The very, very quiet violas, cellos and basses opening Dvorák’s “New World” Symphony had a soul-filling robustness that even the best headphones couldn’t match.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2025

It could be said eight violins, four violas, four cellos, three trumpets, three trombones, two guitars, and a choir of fourteen women were what finally broke up The Beatles.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024

The cellist, joined by four cello colleagues, slowed the etudes down to almost half speed, wrapping and enrapturing her surroundings with the sonic blanket of amplified cellos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024

The track shifts in one smooth measure—the sound of electric violins, cellos, and a deep, reverberating beat fills the space.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu