piano

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See also: Piano, pianó, piáno, and píanó

English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Short form of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). So named because it could produce a wide range of varied volumes note-by-note, in contrast to older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord. Doublet of llano, plain, and plane.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (US, Canada) IPA(key): /piˈænoʊ/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /piˈænəʊ/
  • Audio (UK)(file)

Noun[edit]

piano (plural pianos or piani)

An upright piano
A grand piano
  1. (music) a percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings [from 1803]
    Synonym: (dated) pianoforte
    The piano in his house takes up a lot of space.
    She has been taking lessons for many years and now plays piano very well.
    Coordinate terms: cembalo, clavichord, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, synthesizer, synth
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)

  1. To play the piano.
    • 1967, Harry F. Chaplin, A McCrae Miscellany, page 41:
      Anyhow I pianoed to my own ear, and had no thought at that time for an audience.
    • 1978, Bertha Harris, Confessions of Cherubino, page 96:
      Who comforted me with Madeleines and lime tea, with whipped cream in my cocoa in far off Ann Arbor while others selfishly fiddled, bassooned, pianoed only for their own ugly self-advancement!
    • 2008, John Gruen, Callas Kissed Me...Lenny Too!, page 138:
      John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, Arnold Weinstein, and others came to the house, taping their poems as I pianoed and zithered and drummed away.
    • 2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē, page 139:
      We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.
  2. (of or with fingers) To move (the fingers) up and down on, similar to the motions of a pianist playing the piano.
    • 2013, Ann Blair Kloman, A Diamond to Die For, page 29:
      He just stared at her, leaned back in his chair and pianoed his fingers along the tablecloth.
    • 2017, Kim Michele Richardson, The Sisters of Glass Ferry:
      “Jean, it ain't right how you separated those two,” he said, and pianoed the little coffin with his fingers, tapping out his grievance.
    • 2020, Simon Lelic, The Search Party:
      The superintendent pianoed his fingers on the surface of a nearby desk.
    • 2021, Emilya Naymark, Hide in Place:
      Holly pianoed her fingers over her throat.
  3. To equip with a piano.
    • 1889, The Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer, page 128:
      Other buildings will also be erected and pianoed by the same architect.
    • 1892, The Japan Daily Mail - Volume 18, page 772:
      A tabernacle has been built, burnt, rebuilt, electric lighted, organed, pianoed, and frequently filled — all during the last two years.

Etymology 2[edit]

From Italian piano.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adverb[edit]

Piano notation.

piano (not comparable)

  1. (music) softly, as a musical direction (abbreviated to p. in sheet music) [from 17th c.]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Adjective[edit]

piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)

  1. (music) soft, quiet
  2. in extended use; quiet, subdued
    • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, page 160:
      ‘Tradecraft, Chris,’ Enderby put in, who liked his bit of jargon, and Martindale, still piano, shot him a glance of admiration.

Verb[edit]

piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)

  1. To become softer and less intense.
    • 1839, Rosina Doyle Bulwer afterwards Bulwer Lytton (Baroness Lytton.), Cheveley; Or, The Man of Honour, page 385:
      “You know, Mrs. Wrigglechops,” pianoed Miss Drucilla , even more meekly and mildly than before, "the ace is either one or eleven."
    • 2000, David R. Beasley, Aspects of Love: Three novellas, page 83:
      His tone pianoed on intimacy.
    • 2009, David Lau, Virgil and the Mountain Cat, page 61:
      A day pianoed, swelled acutest, pianoed.

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Albanian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano f (indefinite plural piano, definite singular pianoja, definite plural pianot)

  1. (music) piano

Azerbaijani[edit]

Other scripts
Cyrillic пиано
Perso-Arabic

Etymology[edit]

Ultimately from Italian piano.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano (definite accusative pianonu, plural pianolar)

  1. (music) piano

Declension[edit]

    Declension of piano
singular plural
nominative piano
 pianolar
definite accusative pianonu
 pianoları
dative pianoya
 pianolara
locative pianoda
 pianolarda
ablative pianodan
 pianolardan
definite genitive pianonun
 pianoların
    Possessive forms of piano
nominative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianom pianolarım
sənin (“your”) pianon pianoların
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosu pianoları
bizim (“our”) pianomuz pianolarımız
sizin (“your”) pianonuz pianolarınız
onların (“their”) pianosu or pianoları pianoları
accusative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianomu pianolarımı
sənin (“your”) pianonu pianolarını
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosunu pianolarını
bizim (“our”) pianomuzu pianolarımızı
sizin (“your”) pianonuzu pianolarınızı
onların (“their”) pianosunu or pianolarını pianolarını
dative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianoma pianolarıma
sənin (“your”) pianona pianolarına
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosuna pianolarına
bizim (“our”) pianomuza pianolarımıza
sizin (“your”) pianonuza pianolarınıza
onların (“their”) pianosuna or pianolarına pianolarına
locative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianomda pianolarımda
sənin (“your”) pianonda pianolarında
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosunda pianolarında
bizim (“our”) pianomuzda pianolarımızda
sizin (“your”) pianonuzda pianolarınızda
onların (“their”) pianosunda or pianolarında pianolarında
ablative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianomdan pianolarımdan
sənin (“your”) pianondan pianolarından
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosundan pianolarından
bizim (“our”) pianomuzdan pianolarımızdan
sizin (“your”) pianonuzdan pianolarınızdan
onların (“their”) pianosundan or pianolarından pianolarından
genitive
singular plural
mənim (“my”) pianomun pianolarımın
sənin (“your”) pianonun pianolarının
onun (“his/her/its”) pianosunun pianolarının
bizim (“our”) pianomuzun pianolarımızın
sizin (“your”) pianonuzun pianolarınızın
onların (“their”) pianosunun or pianolarının pianolarının

Catalan[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural pianos)

  1. (music) piano

Czech[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Italian piano

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [ˈpɪjano], [ˈpɪjaːno]
  • Hyphenation: pia‧no

Noun[edit]

piano n

  1. (music) piano
    Synonyms: klavír, klimpr

Declension[edit]

Declension
singular plural
nominative piano piana
genitive piana pian
dative pianu pianům
accusative piano piana
vocative piano piana
locative pianě, pianu pianech
instrumental pianem piany

Further reading[edit]

  • piano in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
  • piano in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French piano, from Italian piano, shortening of pianoforte.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano f or n (plural piano's, diminutive pianootje n)

  1. (music) piano
    Synonym: pianoforte

Derived terms[edit]

Esperanto[edit]

Esperanto Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia eo

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano (accusative singular pianon, plural pianoj, accusative plural pianojn)

  1. (music) piano

Derived terms[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Italian piano.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈpiɑno/, [ˈpiɑno̞]
  • Rhymes: -iɑno
  • Syllabification: pi‧a‧no

Noun[edit]

piano

  1. (music) piano

Declension[edit]

Inflection of piano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative piano pianot
genitive pianon pianojen
partitive pianoa pianoja
illative pianoon pianoihin
singular plural
nominative piano pianot
accusative nom. piano pianot
gen. pianon
genitive pianon pianojen
partitive pianoa pianoja
inessive pianossa pianoissa
elative pianosta pianoista
illative pianoon pianoihin
adessive pianolla pianoilla
ablative pianolta pianoilta
allative pianolle pianoille
essive pianona pianoina
translative pianoksi pianoiksi
instructive — pianoin
abessive pianotta pianoitta
comitative — pianoineen
Possessive forms of piano (type valo)
possessor singular plural
1st person pianoni pianomme
2nd person pianosi pianonne
3rd person pianonsa

Derived terms[edit]

Compounds[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Italian piano. Doublet of plain and plan.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural pianos)

  1. (music) piano
    Il joue du piano avec compétence.
    He plays the piano competently.
    • 1986, “Il était une fois … une maison des musiciens [There Once Was… a House of Musicians]”, in Il était une fois … une petite grenouille [There Once Was… a Little Frog] (fiction), Paris: CLE International:
      Je n’aime pas le piano. Je préfère le football.
      Hein ! Quoi ! Et tu me dis ça à moi, le grand professeur Trompette ? Tiens ! Répète ta leçon cinq fois ! Non, dix fois !
      Je déteste le piano !
      I don’t like the piano. I like football more.
      Huh? What? And you’re telling that to me, the great professor Trumpet? Alright then! Repeat what you’ve learned five times! No, ten times!
      I hate the piano!

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Italian[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane, superlative pianissimo)

  1. plane
  2. flat, level
    Synonym: piatto
  3. plain
  4. soft
    Antonym: forte
  5. penultimate accented
Derived terms[edit]
See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural piani)

  1. plane
  2. floor, storey (British), story (US) (of a building)
  3. plan, tactic, stratagem, scheme, plot
  4. (music) piano, as short for pianoforte
Synonyms[edit]

Adverb[edit]

piano (superlative pianissimo)

  1. slowly
  2. carefully
  3. (music) piano
Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • piano1 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
  • piano2 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
  • piano3 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Etymology 2[edit]

From Pio +‎ -ano.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /piˈa.no/
  • Rhymes: -ano
  • Hyphenation: pi‧à‧no

Adjective[edit]

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane)

  1. (relational) of any of the popes named Pius; Pian
    Ordine Piano ― Pian Order, Order of Pope Pius IX

Etymology 3[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈpi.a.no/
  • Rhymes: -iano
  • Hyphenation: pì‧a‧no

Verb[edit]

piano

  1. third-person plural present indicative of piare (“to chirp, to cheep”)

Anagrams[edit]

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

piano

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ピアノ

Marshallese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English piano, short form of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). The Italian word piano is from Latin plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (phonetic) IPA(key): [pʲiɑːnʲɔ], (enunciated) [pʲiɑ nʲɔ]
  • (phonemic) IPA(key): /pʲijæɰnʲɛw/
  • Bender phonemes: {piyahnew}

Noun[edit]

piano (construct form pianoin)

  1. a piano

Verb[edit]

piano (person noun ri-piano)

  1. to play the piano

References[edit]

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English piano and French piano.

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural pianos)

  1. (Jersey, music) piano

Derived terms[edit]

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Noun[edit]

piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano or pianoer, definite plural pianoa or pianoene)

  1. (music) piano

Related terms[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Noun[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano, definite plural pianoa)

  1. (music) piano

Related terms[edit]

Polish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano f

  1. vocative singular of piana

Portuguese[edit]

piano

Etymology[edit]

From Italian piano,[1] short form of pianoforte. Doublet of plano, chão, and porão.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

piano

  1. piano

Adverb[edit]

piano (comparative mais piano superlative o mais piano)

  1. (music) piano, soft
  2. (music) piano, slowly

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural pianos)

  1. (music) piano

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • → Hunsrik: Piano

References[edit]

  1. ^ “piano” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2022.

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from Italian piano.

Adverb[edit]

piano

  1. piano

Slovak[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adverb[edit]

piano

  1. musical directive to play softly

Noun[edit]

piano m (genitive singular piana, nominative plural pianá, genitive plural pián, declension pattern of mesto)

  1. (music) piano
    Synonym: klavír
  2. a very soft sound

Declension[edit]

Declension of piano
singular plural
nominative piano pianá
genitive piana pián
dative pianu pianám
accusative piano pianá
locative piane pianách
instrumental pianom pianami

Further reading[edit]

  • piano in Slovak dictionaries at slovnik.juls.savba.sk

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Clipping of pianoforte.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano m (plural pianos)

  1. (music) piano

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

piano n

  1. (music) piano

Declension[edit]

Declension of piano 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative piano pianot pianon pianona
Genitive pianos pianots pianons pianonas

See also[edit]

Veps[edit]

Etymology[edit]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun[edit]

piano

  1. (music) piano

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of piano
nominative sing. piano
genitive sing. pianon
partitive sing. pianod
partitive plur. pianoid
singular plural
nominative piano pianod
accusative pianon pianod
genitive pianon pianoiden
partitive pianod pianoid
essive-instructive pianon pianoin
translative pianoks pianoikš
inessive pianos pianoiš
elative pianospäi pianoišpäi
illative ? pianoihe
adessive pianol pianoil
ablative pianolpäi pianoilpäi
allative pianole pianoile
abessive pianota pianoita
comitative pianonke pianoidenke
prolative pianodme pianoidme
approximative I pianonno pianoidenno
approximative II pianonnoks pianoidennoks
egressive pianonnopäi pianoidennopäi
terminative I ? pianoihesai
terminative II pianolesai pianoilesai
terminative III pianossai —
additive I ? pianoihepäi
additive II pianolepäi pianoilepäi

References[edit]

  • Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “пианино”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary], Petrozavodsk: Periodika
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