piccolo

[pik-uh-loh]

noun

plural

piccolos 

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

piccolo

/ ˈpɪkəˌləʊ /

noun

1. a woodwind instrument, the smallest member of the flute family, lying an octave above that of the flute See flute

piccolo

1. A small, high-pitched flute.

Word History and Origins

Origin of piccolo¹

1855–60; < Italian: literally, small

Word History and Origins

Origin of piccolo¹

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

Example Sentences

She holds her head high whether playing piccolo or the 6-foot contrabass flute, as if her instrument were a magic wand used to activate her voice in the highest registers and the deepest.

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Band members received new uniforms, new drums and, most recently, new flutes and piccolos, all of it paid for by the district’s budget for the arts.

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A tuba is also much harder for a thief to pilfer than, say, a piccolo, or even a trumpet.

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In the Lento e deserto, the work’s only slow movement, the lonely yowlings of piccolo, bassoon and slide whistle formed a tender yet humorous trio.

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And its finish: that long drawn-out sigh of clarinet, the delayed relief of its puff of piccolo — just perfect.

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