pianoforte
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (1)
- a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce soundsSynonyms: pianoforte-pianoType of keyboard instrument, stringed instrument, percussion instrumentKinds grand piano, mechanical piano, uprightParts keyboard, fallboard, sustaining pedal, sounding board, piano keyboard, soft pedal, piano action
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Pi·an′o, Pi·an′o·for′te noun
Origin: It. piano soft (fr. L. planus even, smooth; see Plain, adjective) + It. forte strong, fr. L. fortis (see Fort).
Music A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling the harpsichord, and consisting of a series of wires of graduated length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by keys.
Dumb piano. See Digitorium. — Grand piano. See under Grand. — Square piano, one with a horizontal frame and an oblong case. — Upright piano, one with an upright frame and vertical wires.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54