piccolo
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of piccolo
1855–60; < Italian: literally, small
Explanation
Many orchestras include a piccolo, which is a small, high-pitched flute. The word piccolo is in the fairly extensive group of Italian words that designate musical instruments and other musical terms. A piccolo is a small flute that plays an octave higher than an ordinary one; the word comes, appropriately enough, from the Italian for "small," which is also piccolo.
Vocabulary lists containing piccolo
Music to My Ears: Instrumental Vocab
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Musical Instruments - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wedbush analyst Michael Piccolo said in a note last week that eBay had significant resources at its disposal to ward off any takeover attempt, including the possible adoption of a shareholder-rights plan.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
“Amazon is effectively solving its FCC deadline problem by acquiring a functioning satellite operator while also leapfrogging into direct-to-device connectivity, a market SpaceX’s Starlink has been targeting,” Wedbush analyst Michael Piccolo wrote Wednesday.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
This solo show, which I saw at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro, offered a passionate defense of how great literature can teach us to live again.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
Piccolo didn't respond when asked about its social media images.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025
Piccolo and other wild instruments depict the fury of the demons, a parody on the Dies Iræ follows, and83 even the tender love-theme is not spared, but is turned into the most vulgar of waltzes.
From Woman's Work in Music by Elson, Arthur
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
