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 4¹/₂ 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

Fifty centimeters of snow covered the ground when Messiaen and three fellow POWs presented a new composition for clarinet, cello, violin, and piano. —Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The first violins unfurl a lilting, lightly bopping tune in D minor. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

After stepping back from public duties in 2002, the duchess, who had a deep passion for music and played the piano, organ and violin, taught the subject at a primary school in Hull, northeastern England, for several years. —Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025

High-quality wood will produce a rich and warm sound, while cheaper materials may produce a bright tone similar to a violin. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025

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