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piano |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Piano \Pi*a"no\, a. & adv [It., even smooth, soft, fr L. planus even level.] (Mus.) Soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p.) From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Piano \Pi*an"o\, Pianoforte \Pi*an"o*for`te\, n. [It. piano soft (fr. L. planus even smooth; see {Plain}, a.) + It forte strong, fr L. fortis (see {Fort}).] (Mus.) 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. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: piano adj : used chiefly as a direction or description in music; "the piano passages in the composition" [syn: {soft}] [ant: {forte}] n 1: a stringed instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds [syn: {pianoforte}, {forte-piano}] 2: (music) low loudness [syn: {pianissimo}] adv : used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly [syn: {softly}] [ant: {forte}] From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: PIANO, n. A parlor utensil for subduing the impenitent visitor. It is operated by pressing the keys of the machine and the spirits of the audience.
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