violin

American  

[vahy-uh-lin] / ˌvaɪ əˈlɪn /

noun

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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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

Odalisque on the Terrace, painted in 1922, depicts two figures - one reclining in the sun while another holds a violin.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

It bursts with insights that mix journalistic acumen with gossip, backed by a score generously seasoned with mischievous violin string plucking.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The Mexican American singer got her start in mariachi, eventually learning piano, guitar, violin and vihuela.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Cancelleri, the California entrepreneur, said he has no regrets about holding his son back and would have been just as proactive if the boy loved the violin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Music wafted through the dusk—the trill and wail of a klezmer’s violin rivaled by a woman fiddling a lively Irish jig.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• fiddle