viola
1[ vee-oh-luh ]
/ viˈoʊ lə /
Save This Word!
noun
a four-stringed musical instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than the violin; a tenor or alto violin.
a labial organ stop of eight-foot or four-foot pitch, giving tones of a penetrating stringlike quality.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of viola
1WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH viola
viola , voilàWords nearby viola
Definition for viola (2 of 3)
viola2
[ vahy-oh-luh, vee-, vahy-uh- ]
/ vaɪˈoʊ lə, vi-, ˈvaɪ ə- /
noun
any plant of the genus Viola, especially a cultivated variety.Compare pansy (def. 1), violet (defs. 1, 2).
a pansy, V. cornuta, cultivated as a garden plant.
Origin of viola
21400–50; late Middle English: violet <Latin: violet
Definition for viola (3 of 3)
Viola
[ vahy-oh-luh, vee-, vahy-uh- ]
/ vaɪˈoʊ lə, vi-, ˈvaɪ ə- /
noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for viola
British Dictionary definitions for viola (1 of 2)
viola1
/ (vɪˈəʊlə) /
noun
a bowed stringed instrument, the alto of the violin family; held beneath the chin when played. It is pitched and tuned an octave above the cello
any of various instruments of the viol family, such as the viola da gamba
Word Origin for viola
C18: from Italian viola, probably from Old Provençal viola, of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Latin vītulārī to rejoice
British Dictionary definitions for viola (2 of 2)
viola2
/ (ˈvaɪələ, vaɪˈəʊ-) /
noun
any temperate perennial herbaceous plant of the violaceous genus Viola, the flowers of which have showy irregular petals, white, yellow, blue, or mauve in colourSee also violet (def. 1), pansy (def. 1)
Word Origin for viola
C15: from Latin: violet
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 viola
viola
[ (vee-oh-luh) ]
A musical instrument shaped like a violin but somewhat larger, lower pitched, and “darker” in tone. A viola player holds a viola like a violin, under the chin.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.