contralto

[ kuh n-tral-toh ]

/ kənˈtræl toʊ /

Music.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR contralto ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural con·tral·tos.

the lowest female voice or voice part, intermediate between soprano and tenor.

the alto, or highest male voice or voice part.

a singer with a contralto voice.

adjective

pertaining to the contralto voice or its compass.

RELATED WORDS

low, deep, low-pitched

Nearby words

contrail, contraindicate, contraindication, contralateral, contralateral hemiplegia, contralto, contranym, contraoctave, contraorbital, contraplete, contrapose

Origin of contralto

1720–30; < Italian, equivalent to contr(a) contra-² + alto alto

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for contralto

Dumnil, the tenor, used to steal jewellery from the soprano and contralto of the troop, and get intoxicated with the baritone.
History of the Opera from its Origin in Italy to the present Time|Henry Sutherland Edwards
The unknown singer had a contralto voice, with all the richness of tone of the most highly trained prima donna.
Personal Recollections of the Civil War|James Madison Stone
Tenor, contralto, baritone, and bass vie with each other in performing dangerous feats of vocal agility.
Stars of the Opera|Mabel Wagnalls
Louis, having unfastened the bundle, tried over some of the songs, and taught Frank readily the contralto of two.
Louis' School Days|E. J. May

It is a contralto that can express profound depths of feeling.
The Girls at Mount Morris|Amanda Minnie Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for contralto

contralto

/ (kənˈtræltəʊ, -ˈtrɑːl-) /

noun plural -tos or -ti (-tɪ)

the lowest female voice, usually having a range of approximately from F a fifth below middle C to D a ninth above itIn the context of a choir often shortened to: alto

a singer with such a voice

adjective

of or denoting a contraltothe contralto part

Word Origin for contralto

C18: from Italian; see contra-, alto

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

Word Origin and History for contralto

contralto

"lowest female voice," 1730, from Italian contralto; see contra- "against, opposite" + alto. The part next above the alto.

Culture definitions for contralto

contralto

[ (kuhn-tral-toh) ]

The lowest range of the female singing voice; alto.