piccolo

American  

[pik-uh-loh] / ˈpɪk əˌloʊ /

noun

plural

piccolos

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

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piccolo British  

/ ˈpɪkəˌləʊ /

noun

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

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piccolo Cultural  

1. A small, high-pitched flute.

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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.

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025

Being selected is a testament to every band member who came before, said Claire Rhyu, a flute and piccolo player, and she’s still in disbelief.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

She played a piccolo from John Philip Sousa’s band that was used to play the solo at the premier of his song, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

From New York Times • Sep. 28, 2022

A splendid duo between Aaron Goldman’s flute and Carole Bean’s piccolo was soured by a harsh off-note from the trumpets, and here and there the timing of the brass seemed to come loose.

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2022

As if understanding his signal perfectly, a single piccolo played a single note and off in the east a solitary shaft of cool lemon light flicked across the sky.

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster