cellist

noun

cel·​list ˈche-list How to pronounce cellist (audio)
: a cello player
a yard-long implement that looks just like a cellist's bow, only larger.Donovan Hohn

Examples of cellist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One day, in the classical department of El Duende, a Guatemala City record store, a DVD with a young cellist on the cover caught her eye: British prodigy Jacqueline du Pré, playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2024 The song begins slowly as the violinist, cellist and pianist pluck strings from their instruments to create a sense of uncertainty. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 Daniel Hope, now in his sixth season as music director and concertmaster, welcomes cellist Sterling Elliott as soloist in Haydn’s First Cello Concerto. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 The sturdy undergirding lines of cellist Serafim Smigelskiy were immediately arresting, beautifully supporting Taylor’s glimmering harpsichord. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 The Harriman-Jewell Series presents the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko with special guest cellist Natalia Khoma on Feb. 18 at Helzberg Hall. Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 9 Feb. 2024 The lineup includes bassoonist Joy Guidry, cellist Peter Ko, pianists Jonny Stallings Cardenas and Boris Acosta Jaramillo, tuba player Jonathan Piper and alto saxophonist and flutist Lyra Montoya. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 Performed by the Core Ensemble, the performance will feature actor Tiffany Terrell with musical accompaniment by cellist Ju Young Lee, Mikael Darmmanie on piano and percussion by Michael Parola. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024 Li and cellist Alexander Wu, his classmate at the Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, performed for about 75 residents as part of its innovative Musician-in-Residence Program that aims to bridge the gap between generations. Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cellist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellist was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near cellist

Cite this Entry

“Cellist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellist. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cellist

noun
cel·​list
ˈchel-əst
: a person who plays the cello

More from Merriam-Webster on cellist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!