viol

American  

[vahy-uhl] / ˈvaɪ əl /

noun

1. a bowed musical instrument, differing from the violin in having deeper ribs, sloping shoulders, a greater number of strings, usually six, and frets: common in the 16th and 17th centuries in various sizes from the treble viol to the bass viol.

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viol British  

/ ˈvaɪəl /

noun

1. any of a family of stringed musical instruments that preceded the violin family, consisting of a fretted fingerboard, a body rather like that of a violin but having a flat back and six strings, played with a curved bow. They are held between the knees when played and have a quiet yet penetrating tone; they were much played, esp in consorts, in the 16th and 17th centuries

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Etymology

Origin of viol

1475–85; < Middle French viole (akin to Old French viel ( l ) e > earlier English viele ) < Old Provençal viola, derivative of violar to play the viola ¹ (perhaps imitative)

Example Sentences

But this sweet and yearning six-minute pavan, written for an ensemble of viols, and the title track on the gorgeous new recording of the Ricercar Consort, bridges centuries.

From Los Angeles Times

MacMillan — like Byrd, a committed Catholic — recently wrote “Ye Sacred Muses” for the King’s Singers and Fretwork, the viol consort.

From New York Times

Enjoy concert pieces by Vivaldi, Handel and Telemann and dance music from the court of King Louis XIV, featuring the baroque cello, viol, theorbo and harpsichord.

From Seattle Times

Setting sail in 1577, he pushed across the Atlantic to Brazil, bellowing psalms into the wind and dining to airs played on viols.

From New York Times

There is marvelous invention in the part writing, but even here, the counterpoint between these quite similar-sounding viols requires considerable concentration to grasp.

From Los Angeles Times