pianoforte

American  

[pee-an-uh-fawrt, -fohrt, pee-an-uh-fawr-tee, -tey, -fohr-] / piˈæn əˌfɔrt, -ˌfoʊrt, piˌæn əˈfɔr ti, -teɪ, -ˈfoʊr- /

noun

1. a piano.

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pianoforte British  

/ pɪˈænəʊˈfɔːtɪ /

noun

1. the full name for piano 1

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pianoforte Cultural  

1. The full name of the piano, the common musical instrument with a board of black and white keys, eighty-eight in all. The keys operate hammers that strike wires. Pianoforte is Italian for “soft-loud”; it received this name because its level of loudness depends on how hard the player strikes the keys.

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Etymology

Origin of pianoforte

1760–70; < Italian ( gravecembalo col ) piano e forte literally, (harpsicord with) soft and loud, equivalent to piano soft ( see piano ²) + forte loud ( see forte ²)

Example Sentences

By 1891, John had moved to Edinburgh and was living as a lodger with a widowed pianoforte maker, Richard Honeyman, 70, and his daughter, Helen, 45.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2024

"I have played blindman's-buff and caught the corner of a particularly hard pianoforte with my forehead."

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2021

A pianoforte, mandolin and clarinet, as well as a mah-jongg game, seem to await players.

From Washington Post • Jul. 5, 2018

The reason we call a piano "piano" is that it's a lot easier than its original name "pianoforte".

From New York Times • Jan. 15, 2015

Miss Bingley moved with alacrity to the pianoforte, and after a polite request that Elizabeth would lead the way, which the other as politely and more earnestly negatived, she seated herself.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Related Words

• grand piano
• instrument
• keyboard