Piano
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English
Etymology
Short form of pianoforte, from Italian piano (soft) + forte (strong). So named because older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord and the clavier, could not produce varied volumes.
Noun
piano (plural pianos)
- A keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings.
Usage note
Piano is now the usual term for the musical instrument. Pianoforte is old-fashioned.
Synonyms
- pianoforte (dated)
Derived terms
- pianola
- electric piano
- pianist
- piano player
- player piano
Translations
- Chinese: 钢琴/鋼琴(gangqin)
- Czech: piáno n
- Dutch: piano m
- Finnish: piano
- French: piano m (on this page)
- German: Klavier n, Piano n
- Hebrew: פסנתר (psanter, after an unknown musical instrument mentioned in the book of Daniel)
- Irish: pianó
- Italian: pianoforte m, piano m
- Japanese: ピアノ
- Romanian: Pian n
- Slovak: klavír m
See also
- clavier
- harpsichord
- organ
- synthesizer, synth
Adjective
piano
- Soft. Used as a dynamic directive in sheet music in its abbreviated form, {p.}, to indicate lowering the volume of the music. In the pianoforte this is done by pressing the instrument's keys more lightly.
Translations
- Slovak: piano
Related Terms
- mezzo-piano
- mp
Dutch
Noun
piano m
- piano
Finnish
(index P)
Noun
piano
- piano
French
Noun
piano
- English: piano (on this page)
Adjective
piano
- English: piano (on this page)
Italian
Adjective
piano
- plane
- Plain, soft
- penultimate accented
Noun
piano m (plural piani)
Slovak
Adverb
- piano
- Musical directive to play softly
