violin

American  

[vahy-uh-lin] / ˌvaɪ əˈlɪn /

noun

• violins
  plural

1. the treble instrument of the family of modern bowed instruments, held nearly horizontal by the player's arm with the lower part supported against the collarbone or shoulder.

2. a violinist or part for a violin.

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violin British  

/ ˌvaɪəˈlɪn /

noun

1. a bowed stringed instrument, the highest member of the violin family, consisting of a fingerboard, a hollow wooden body with waisted sides, and a sounding board connected to the back by means of a soundpost that also supports the bridge. It has two f-shaped sound holes cut in the belly. The instrument, noted for its fine and flexible tone, is the most important of the stringed instruments. It is held under the chin when played. Range: roughly three and a half octaves upwards from G below middle C

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violin Cultural  

1. The most familiar and highest-pitched instrument of the strings. A typical symphony orchestra has more than two dozen violinists.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• violins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of violin

1570–80; < Italian violino, equivalent to viol ( a ) ( see viola ¹) + -ino diminutive suffix

Explanation

Violin is the formal word for a fiddle — a stringed instrument that's held to a player's neck and played with a bow. Nearly every string quartet includes at least one violin. The word violin comes from viola, from the Italian viola da braccio, which was a popular medieval instrument. The earliest violins had only three strings, while modern instruments have four. Starting around the 16th century, the violin became a very popular instrument, particularly among nobles. Most violins are built from maple wood, and their strings are made of dried animal gut or steel and are sometimes plated with silver.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

violin violins

In another official building across town, violin notes mixed with air raid sirens.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Instead, she just fits it in when she can between piano and violin lessons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The National Symphony commissioned symphonies from Roy Harris and William Schuman as well as Alan Hovhaness’ “Ode to Freedom,” a lovely short violin concerto written for Yehudi Menuhin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

He handles a violin and a sniper’s rifle with equal dexterity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

To give you some idea of the difference that articulation makes, though, here are audio examples of a violin playing a legato54 and a staccato55 passage.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Uruguay: “Tyrants: Tremble!/We shall cry out ‘Liberty’ in battle!” — a boast backed by flutes and violins that make it sound like a Rossini overture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

There’s “White Hot Coal,” a pensive, acoustic folk rocker with violins as the ghost of an accordion.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Cue the violins, because after Jerome Powell’s swan song Fed rate meeting, it’s his final two weeks in the hot seat.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

Where do the world’s best violins come from?

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026

The Schillinger brothers warmed up their violins as older children chased each other around the school room.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Related Words

• fiddle