pianoforte

[ pee-an-uh-fawrt, -fohrt; pee-an-uh-fawr-tee, -tey, -fohr- ]

noun

1. a piano.

pianoforte

/ pɪˈænəʊˈfɔːtɪ /

noun

1. See piano
   the full name for piano 1

pianoforte

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pianoforte¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pianoforte¹

C18: from Italian, originally ( gravecembalo col ) piano e forte (harpsichord with) soft and loud; see piano ², forte ²

Example Sentences

The organ touch could now be made as light as that of a pianoforte, much lighter than ever before.

From Project Gutenberg

Music, especially singing and the pianoforte, is almost in a more degraded position than painting.

From Project Gutenberg

They decided to engage as pianoforte teacher a young lady called Marie Markovna Palchikov.

From Project Gutenberg

Thanks to her, he learnt to know the whole of Don Giovanni, and was never tired of reading the pianoforte score.

From Project Gutenberg

The future composer had no alternative but to study these works in pianoforte arrangements.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• grand piano
• instrument
• keyboard