piano
Pluralpianos
Pluralpianos
Formspianos, pianoing, pianoed
- 1A keyboard instrument with white and black keys that, when pressed, drive hammers against strings to produce notes, usually spanning about seven octaves.
The concert hall's grand piano had just been tuned.
He learned three pieces on the piano before the recital.
UsageBoth play the piano and play piano are natural. The plural is pianos.
Similarpianoforte
Note
The name is a clipping of pianoforte, from Italian piano "soft" and forte "strong". The instrument was named for its ability to play each note loud or soft, which the harpsichord could not do.
- 2Softly, as a dynamic marking that tells a musician to play quietly.
The conductor asked the violins to play the opening piano.
Marked piano, the second verse fades almost to a whisper.
UsageComes after the verb: play the passage piano.
Note
A score marking taken straight from Italian, where piano means "soft," and written in the music simply as p. It sits between mezzo-piano and pianissimo on the scale of dynamics. Paired with forte, the same Italian word named the instrument, a keyboard that could play soft or loud note by note.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- The musical direction piano was borrowed directly from Italian. en.wiktionary.org
- Italian piano means soft. archived.metmuseum.org
- Piano is abbreviated p and lies between pianissimo and mezzo-piano in loudness. sfu.ca
- Piano combined with forte supplied the instrument's name, referring to its ability to vary individual notes' loudness. en.wikipedia.org
- 3
Less common meanings
- 4To supply or fit out a place with a piano.
A tabernacle has been built, burnt, rebuilt, electric lighted, organed, pianoed, and frequently filled — all during the last two years.
1892, The Japan Daily Mail - Volume 18Note
A verb for fitting out buildings, used mostly as a past participle. The Engineering Record of 1889 speaks of buildings "erected and pianoed". The Japan Daily Mail of 1892 describes a tabernacle "electric lighted, organed, pianoed". Like the verb for playing, it sits most comfortably in a list of similar coinages, where each verb names something added to the room.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- The Engineering Record quotation is dated 1889 and contains erected and pianoed. en.wiktionary.org
- The Japan Daily Mail quotation is dated 1892 and describes a tabernacle with the quoted wording. en.wiktionary.org
- 5To perform music on a piano.
We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.
2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē - 6Gentle, soft, and subdued in manner or quality.
‘Tradecraft, Chris,’ Enderby put in, who liked his bit of jargon, and Martindale, still piano, shot him a glance of admiration.
1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy - 7To move the fingers up and down on a surface, like the motions of someone playing a piano.
Holly pianoed her fingers over her throat.
2021, Emilya Naymark, Hide in Place - 8To die down in volume or force, growing gentler and less intense.
His tone pianoed on intimacy.
2000, David R. Beasley, Aspects of Love: Three novellas
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
A clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, combining piano ('soft') and forte ('strong'). It was named this way because it could play many different volumes note by note, unlike older keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Piano is a clipping of pianoforte, borrowed from Italian and combining words meaning 'soft' and 'strong'. en.wiktionary.org
- The name refers to the instrument's ability to play softly and loudly. metmuseum.org
- The piano allows the player to vary the volume of individual notes. en.wikipedia.org
- Older instruments such as the harpsichord lacked comparable control of volume through the player's touch. metmuseum.org
From Italian piano.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- English piano, meaning softly in music, was borrowed from Italian piano. en.wiktionary.org