piano

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

pi·​a·​no pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 

: at a soft volume : soft

—used as a direction in music

piano

2 of 2

noun

pi·​ano pē-ˈa-(ˌ)nō 

also

-ˈä- 

plural pianos

: a musical instrument having steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard

Examples of piano in a Sentence

Noun

Do you play the piano?

He takes piano lessons on Wednesdays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kodály’s Romanian Folk Dances, composed in 1915 for piano and arranged for orchestra two years later, occupy a mere six minutes. —Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026

This is revealed deep into the movie, when Yasmine is trying to free him from the commission, and encourages him to return to playing jazz piano. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026

Set against piano and trumpet melodies, each verse is imbued with messages of hope and resilience, reflecting the group’s unwavering spirit. —Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026

Crofts played baseball and took piano lessons at five years old before pivoting to drums. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

Italian, from Late Latin planus smooth, from Latin, level — more at floor

Noun

Italian, short for pianoforte, from gravicembalo col piano e forte, literally, harpsichord with soft and loud; from the fact that its tones could be varied in loudness

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1683, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1772, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing piano

• forte-piano
• grand piano
• mezzo piano
• piano accordion
• piano bar
• piano hinge
• player piano
• stride piano
• thumb piano
• upright piano

Rhymes for piano

• cyano

Kids Definition

piano

1 of 2 adverb or adjective

pi·​a·​no pē-ˈän-ō 

: in a soft or quiet manner

—used as a direction in music

piano

2 of 2 noun

pi·​ano pē-ˈan-ō 

plural pianos

: a musical instrument consisting of a large frame holding steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers which are operated from a keyboard

pianist

pē-ˈan-əst, 

ˈpē-ə-nəst

noun

Etymology

Noun

from Italian piano "a keyboard musical instrument," a shortened form of pianoforte, from piano "soft" and forte "loud"; so called because, unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it could be played with varying degrees of loudness

Biographical Definition

Piano

biographical name

Pi·​a·​no pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 

Renzo 1937–     Italian architect