Illustration of piccolo
plural piccolos
: a small shrill flute whose range is an octave higher than that of an ordinary flute
Examples of piccolo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2023
Music has always been a part of Kujala’s life, having first played the piccolo at age five with his father, former longtime Chicago Symphony piccolo player and Northwestern professor Walfrid Kujala.
—Alex Hulvalchick, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2022
Later, as Adonis sets off on the hunt, two flutes and a piccolo evoke his fatal insouciance, issuing birdlike high harmonics and an Aeolian whistling that is produced by blowing directly into the instrument.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Advertisement The piece began with flutes, piccolo, and percussionists (playing an array of American Indian instruments) gently improvising over a drone in the low strings.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2023
From there, a turn-by-turn procession unfolds that feels equal parts fantastic and funereal: A loose melodic tangle of oboe, violin, piccolo, cello and bassoon twists into an anxious coil.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
It is scored for a flutist who also plays alto flute and piccolo, a pianist doubling on celesta, and a percussionist playing glockenspiel, vibraphone, tubular bells, and marimba.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2023
In truth the night was an exceptional outing for the entire core of the orchestra’s woodwinds, including Lisa Hennessy (flute), Rane Moore (clarinet), Mary Kay Robinson (piccolo), and Rachel Jusczcak (bassoon).
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2023
His repertoire expanded to include the piccolo and English horn.
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2023
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Noun
Is that a piccolo peeking out from behind the library check-out desk?
—Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2023
Music has always been a part of Kujala’s life, having first played the piccolo at age five with his father, former longtime Chicago Symphony piccolo player and Northwestern professor Walfrid Kujala.
—Alex Hulvalchick, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2022
Later, as Adonis sets off on the hunt, two flutes and a piccolo evoke his fatal insouciance, issuing birdlike high harmonics and an Aeolian whistling that is produced by blowing directly into the instrument.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Advertisement The piece began with flutes, piccolo, and percussionists (playing an array of American Indian instruments) gently improvising over a drone in the low strings.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2023
From there, a turn-by-turn procession unfolds that feels equal parts fantastic and funereal: A loose melodic tangle of oboe, violin, piccolo, cello and bassoon twists into an anxious coil.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
It is scored for a flutist who also plays alto flute and piccolo, a pianist doubling on celesta, and a percussionist playing glockenspiel, vibraphone, tubular bells, and marimba.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2023
In truth the night was an exceptional outing for the entire core of the orchestra’s woodwinds, including Lisa Hennessy (flute), Rane Moore (clarinet), Mary Kay Robinson (piccolo), and Rachel Jusczcak (bassoon).
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2023
His repertoire expanded to include the piccolo and English horn.
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piccolo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Piccolo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piccolo. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
piccolo
noun
pic·co·lo
ˈpik-ə-ˌlō
plural piccolos
: a small shrill flute
piccoloist
noun
-əst
Etymology
Noun
from Italian piccolo "piccolo," a shortened form of piccolo flauto "little flute"
More from Merriam-Webster on piccolo
Nglish: Translation of piccolo for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about piccolo
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