viola

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Vi=o=la

CIDE DICTIONARY

viola, n. [L., a violet. See Violet.].

 A genus of polypetalous herbaceous plants, including all kinds of violets.  [1913 Webster]

viola, n. [It. See Viol.].

 An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but larger, and a fifth lower in compass.  [1913 Webster]

∥Viola da braccio [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol, or viola, a fifth lower than the violin. Its part is written in the alto clef, hence it is sometimes called the alto. -- ∥Viola da gamba [It., viol for the leg], an instrument resembling the viola, but larger, and held between the knees. It is now rarely used. -- ∥Viola da spalla [It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument formerly used, resembling the viola, and intermediate in size between the viola and the viola da gamba. -- ∥Viola di amore [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole d'amour], a viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon, and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

viola, n.
1 a an instrument of the violin family, larger than the violin and of lower pitch. b a viola-player.
2 a viol.

Idiom

viola da braccio a viol corresponding to the modern viola. viola da gamba a viol held between the player's legs, esp. one corresponding to the modern cello. viola d'amore a sweet-toned tenor viol.

viola, n.
1 any plant of the genus Viola, including the pansy and violet.
2 a cultivated hybrid of this genus.

Etymology

L, = violet

THESAURUS

viola

A string, Amati, Cremona, D string, E string, English horn, G string, Strad, Stradivari, Stradivarius, bass, bass viol, bassoon, block flute, bombard, bourdon, bow, bridge, bull fiddle, cello, claribel, clarinet, clarion, concert flute, contrabass, cornet, cornopean, cromorna, crowd, cymbel, diapason, double bass, dulciana, fiddle, fiddlebow, fiddlestick, fingerboard, flute stop, foundation stop, fourniture, gamba, gedeckt, gemshorn, harmonic flute, hybrid stop, kit, kit fiddle, kit violin, koppel flute, larigot, melodia, mixture, mutation stop, nazard, oboe, octave, organ stop, piccolo, plein jeu, posaune, principal, quint, quintaten, rank, ranket, reed stop, register, rohr flute, scroll, sesquialtera, shawm, soundboard, spitz flute, stop, stopped diapason, stopped flute, string, string diapason, string stop, tenor violin, tierce, tremolo, trombone, trumpet, tuning peg, twelfth, unda maris, vibrato, violin, violinette, violoncello, violoncello piccolo, violone, violotta, voix celeste, vox angelica, vox humana

ROGET THESAURUS

viola

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.