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

In Yie-Eun Chun’s spritely Violin Concerto, which was commissioned by the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

Bryce Dessner’s recent Violin Concerto was dominated by soloist Pekka Kuusisto’s vivid bowing, creating astonishing acoustical effects with harmonics.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

Her account of Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto exemplified the golden-age richness and astonishing technique that have long made her a standout in a crowded field.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2024

He has collaborated extensively with McCartney and written a book about the missing Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2023

Her mind was a tornado of thoughts and questions and anxiety while she recorded herself playing the violin section of Paganini’s “Cantabile for Violin and Guitar” for the CD she was making for the Beiderman.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

• fiddle