piccolo

[ pik-uh-loh ]

/ ˈpɪk əˌloʊ /

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noun, plural pic·co·los.

a small flute sounding an octave higher than the ordinary flute.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of piccolo

1855–60; <Italian: literally, small

Words nearby piccolo

piccanin, piccaninny, Piccard, piccata, Piccinni, piccolo, piccoloist, pice, piceous, pich, pi character

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use piccolo in a sentence

Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer in 1969 at the age of 25 and died less than a year later.
7 Great Football Flicks From Horse Feathers to Friday Night Lights|The Daily Beast|January 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He began whistling as clearly and correctly as a piccolo the air of a recently published waltz.
The Dreamer|Mary Newton Stanard
It was a very unsatisfactory kiss because we had to purse our lips like a pair of piccolo players to make them meet.
Highways in Hiding|George Oliver Smith
And on state occasions, we are joined by an attorney-at-law who plays the piccolo.
Life's Minor Collisions|Frances Warner

The piccolo, passing sandwiches, looks up with hearty response.
Life's Minor Collisions|Frances Warner
Cosimo could only pipe—one little note, high and thin as that of a piccolo.
A Crooked Mile|Oliver Onions

British Dictionary definitions for piccolo

piccolo

/ (ˈpɪkəˌləʊ) /

noun plural -los

a woodwind instrument, the smallest member of the flute family, lying an octave above that of the fluteSee flute (def. 1)

Word Origin for piccolo

C19: from Italian: small; compare English petty, French petit

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

Cultural definitions for piccolo

piccolo

[ (pik-uh-loh) ]

A small, high-pitched flute.