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cello
1[ chel-oh ]
/ ˈtʃɛl oʊ /
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noun, plural cel·los.
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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Also called violoncello.
Origin of cello
1First recorded in 1875–80; short for violoncello
Words nearby cello
Other definitions for cello (2 of 2)
Origin of cello
2By shortening
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cello in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cello
cello
/ (ˈtʃɛləʊ) /
noun plural -los
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 supportFull name: violoncello
Derived forms of cello
cellist, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for cello
cello
[ (chel-oh) ]
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.
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.