viol

American  

[vahy-uhl] / ˈvaɪ əl /

noun

1. a bowed musical instrument, differing from the violin in having deeper ribs, sloping shoulders, a greater number of strings, usually six, and frets: common in the 16th and 17th centuries in various sizes from the treble viol to the bass viol.

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viol British  

/ ˈvaɪəl /

noun

1. any of a family of stringed musical instruments that preceded the violin family, consisting of a fretted fingerboard, a body rather like that of a violin but having a flat back and six strings, played with a curved bow. They are held between the knees when played and have a quiet yet penetrating tone; they were much played, esp in consorts, in the 16th and 17th centuries

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Etymology

Origin of viol

1475–85; < Middle French viole (akin to Old French viel ( l ) e > earlier English viele ) < Old Provençal viola, derivative of violar to play the viola ¹ (perhaps imitative)

Example Sentences

When the viol player Liam Byrne, 40, began going to Berghain, in 2017, he noticed a surprising parallel between techno dancing and stylized Baroque choreography.

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2023

The extraordinary Catalan viol player Jordi Savall takes the approach of mixing the “Lachrimae” with the other dances in the collection in readings of glowing beauty.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2020

In Domenichino’s version, at the Louvre, she is playing “a cantata to the Glory of Saint Cecilia” on the bass viol, which seems like kind of a lot.

From Slate • May 28, 2020

Most of the pieces sung by Davies were arranged for viol consort by Richard Boothby, co-founder of Fretwork and one of its bass viol players.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2019

He spent a great deal of time with Adam Bowyer shooting at a mark, and was already at work again in the carpentry shop making a viol such as Piers Nitingale used.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli