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viola da braccio

[vee-oh-luh duh brah-choh]
noun, plural viola da braccios.
  1. an old musical instrument of the viol family, held against the shoulder like a violin: superseded by the modern viola.

Origin of viola da braccio

< Italian: literally, viola for the arm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for viola da braccio

viola da braccio

noun
  1. an old name for viola 1 (def. 1)
  2. a type of viol held on the shoulder, from which the modern viola was developed

Word Origin for viola da braccio

from Italian, literally: viol for the arm
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