violoncello
UK /ˌvaɪələnˈtʃɛləʊ/ · US /ˌvaɪələnˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/ noun
Forms violoncellos violoncelli
Synonyms
Etymology
A borrowing of Italian violoncello (“little violone”), from violone (“an early form of the double bass”) + -cello (“-elle”, forming diminutives), violone itself being derived from viola + -one (“-oon”, forming augmentatives).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A stringed instrument of music; a bass viol of four strings, or a bass violin with long, large strings, giving sounds an octave lower than the viola, or tenor or alto violin.
Etymology [It. violoncello, dim. of violone a bass viol. See Violone.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “violoncello”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details