piccolo

1 of 2

adjective

pic·​co·​lo ˈpi-kə-ˌlō How to pronounce piccolo (audio)
: smaller than ordinary size
a piccolo banjo

piccolo

2 of 2

noun

plural piccolos
: a small shrill flute whose range is an octave higher than that of an ordinary flute
piccoloist noun

Illustration of piccolo

Illustration of piccolo

Examples of piccolo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Where the Sea Change version sounds doleful, the new orchestration sounded almost hopeful with strings that glide over the chords and a perky piccolo poking through the musical ceiling. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2024 Band members received new uniforms, new drums and, most recently, new flutes and piccolos, all of it paid for by the district’s budget for the arts. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024 Image Cheung played in Gleason’s workshop, before leaving Philadelphia to spend time in Seattle and audition for a piccolo seat at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. James Estrin Joshua Barone, New York Times, 4 June 2024 Alice is an extremely talented flute and piccolo player. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for piccolo 

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Italian, small

Noun

Italian, short for piccolo flauto small flute

First Known Use

Adjective

1832, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piccolo was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near piccolo

Cite this Entry

“Piccolo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piccolo. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

piccolo

noun
pic·​co·​lo
ˈpik-ə-ˌlō
plural piccolos
: a small shrill flute
piccoloist
-əst
noun
Etymology

Noun

from Italian piccolo "piccolo," a shortened form of piccolo flauto "little flute"

More from Merriam-Webster on piccolo

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