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

The score took roughly six months to craft and involved the creation of new tools to build the earthy and whimsical sounds, including a cello based on Mongolian string instruments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Wygodny has written original music to subtly accompany Booth’s fable, lending the emotional subtext at points a penumbra of cello.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Their songs weave in Irish lilting, set against a lively mix of drums, fiddles, flutes, harps, banjos, cello and concertina - skills honed over years of playing house parties, pub céilís and traditional festivals.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

Diana Burgess adds cello on the delicate “Round Corral” track.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

It’s attached to a framed photo of Mom posing with her cello that I haven’t ever seen before.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Oh, and I’ve broken four cellos in my lifetime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

They come out twice, for Viva La Vida and feelslikeimfallinginlove, twirling their cellos and jumping up and down as they provide the stirring string accompaniment.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025

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 cellos were broad and sinuous, and the violins sighed and shone in big, roomy gestures.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

They went further in, down a red corridor, past rooms filled with empty chairs upon which rested violins and violas and cellos which played themselves, or seemed to, when fed a coin.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman