cello

noun cel·lo \ ˈche-(ˌ)lō \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of cello

plural cellos also celli play \-lē\

: the bass member of the violin family tuned an octave below the viola

—

cellist

play \ˈche-list\ noun

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Recent Examples of cello from the Web

Meanwhile, as education has become more essential in the workforce, parents are increasingly eager to give their kids a leg up with lessons in everything from coding to cello.

— lindsay whitehurst, The Christian Science Monitor, "Utah's 'free-range' parenting law sparks interest across the country," 10 Apr. 2018
The one student who died whom Julie knew was Noelle, a rich girl who played the cello.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘This Flat Earth’ Traces Childhood Fears No Parent Can Allay," 9 Apr. 2018
Because of the notorious acoustic vagaries of the Bob Carr Theater, at my seat the sound of soloist Ronald Gardiner’s cello only occasionally could be heard over the other players.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Classical music is stuffy, you say? Not in Central Florida," 8 Apr. 2018
Around the edges of the Bindery’s meeting roomwere photos of Larson, playing the cello, for one, and then, to me most striking, just sitting in a stately parlor of his house, surrounded by bentwood furniture silhouetted against the windows.

— leah garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, "Paying tribute to Norm Larson, Duke of the Haight-Ashbury," 5 Apr. 2018
Don Quixote is represented as a solo cello (spelled by solo violin), Sancho Panza as a solo viola (with help from bass clarinet and tenor tuba).

— jeffrey gantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Nelsons and the BSO shine in Widmann and Richard Strauss," 31 Mar. 2018
And then, unseen but essential, are the room’s acoustics — perhaps the greatest achievement of architect William Tuthill, who played the cello in off-hours.

— christopher reynolds, latimes.com, "Step inside New York’s Carnegie Hall, where beautiful music and stirring history ring out," 23 Mar. 2018
At Obama’s first inauguration, Yo-Yo Ma (cello) and Itzhak Perlman (violin) performed to a recording of themselves—because of the extreme cold on the day of the event, spokespeople said later. Sept 29, 2012.

— david pogue, Scientific American, "Is Lip-Synching a Form of Cheating?," 1 July 2017
The quartet’s sound is built on guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin, cello, and — most of all — lush and dreamy vocal harmonies.

— Philly.com, "The Big Lebowski turns 20, Lorde plays Wells Fargo and more things to do in Philadephia," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cello.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cello

short for violoncello

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First Known Use: 1855

in the meaning defined above

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CELLO Defined for English Language Learners

cello

noun

Definition of cello for English Language Learners

: a large musical instrument like a violin that is held between the player's knees while the player sits

CELLO Defined for Kids

cello

noun cel·lo \ ˈche-lō \

Definition of cello for Students

plural cellos

: a large stringed instrument of the violin family that plays the bass part

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See words that rhyme with cello Spanish Central: Translation of cello Nglish: Translation of cello for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cello

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cello

Definition of cello

cellist

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cello

Definition of cello for English Language Learners

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cello

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cello

Definition of cello

cellist

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Definition of cello for English Language Learners

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