violin

noun

vi·​o·​lin ˌvī-ə-ˈlin 

: a bowed stringed instrument having four strings tuned at intervals of a fifth and a usual range from G below middle C upward for more than 4½ octaves and having a shallow body, shoulders at right angles to the neck, a fingerboard without frets, and a curved bridge

violinist

ˌvī-ə-ˈli-nist 

noun

violinistic

ˌvī-ə-lə-ˈni-stik 

adjective

Illustration of violin

• 1 bridge
• 2 sound hole
• 3 soundboard
• 4 fingerboard
• 5 pegs
• 6 scroll
• 7 tailpiece
• g G-string
• d D-string
• a A-string
• e E-string

Examples of violin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At just 13, Emel Cubukcu, an eighth-grader at Muirlands Middle School in La Jolla, has drawn extensive local attention and recognition for her expressive, precise violin playing. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026

Brian has been in orchestra all three years and is one of our first violins in our top orchestra for the past two years. —Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026

For a while, Rodin’s father played violin and sang on the vaudeville circuit in Chicago, and Merrill’s uncle Gil Rodin became a saxophonist in bands led by Ben Pollack and Bob Crosby, Bing’s brother. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

The first violins were strung with sheep intestines, while early timpanis bore heads made from goatskin. —Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian violino, from viola "viola, viol" + -ino, diminutive suffix, going back to Latin -īnus -ine entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for violin

• aneurin
• crystallin
• eosin
• mandolin
• porphyrin
• underpin
• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin

Kids Definition

violin

noun

vi·​o·​lin ˌvī-ə-ˈlin 

1

: a stringed musical instrument with four strings that is usually held against the shoulder under the chin and played with a bow

2

: violinist