viol

noun

vi·​ol ˈvī(-ə)l  ˈvī-(ˌ)ōl 

: a bowed stringed instrument chiefly of the 16th and 17th centuries made in treble, alto, tenor, and bass sizes and distinguished from members of the violin family especially in having a deep body, a flat back, sloping shoulders, usually six strings, a fretted fingerboard, and a low-arched bridge

Examples of viol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Elsewhere, the viol player Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI bring pieces from Renaissance England and Catalonia to the 92nd Street Y (April 11), and the choir Stile Antico honors Palestrina’s five-hundredth anniversary at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin (March 29). —Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025

But this sweet and yearning six-minute pavan, written for an ensemble of viols, and the title track on the gorgeous new recording of the Ricercar Consort, bridges centuries. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Violinist and viol player Risa Browder, cellist Wade Davis, violist Nina Falk and Eisenstein (who throughout the night moved between violin, recorder and even some singing) made a fine string section all evening. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023

Most of the pieces sung by Davies were arranged for viol consort by Richard Boothby, co-founder of Fretwork and one of its bass viol players. —Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019

The instrumental selections were actually composed for viol consort. —Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019

FRETWORK The English viol consort stops in Boston on its American tour, joined by countertenor Iestyn Davies. —Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2019

With Amelie Chemin, viol; Thomas Boysen, theorbo; Markus Hunninger, harpsichord. —Chronicle Staff Report, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2018

In addition to his wife and son Laurence, a viol player and musicologist, Mr. Dreyfus is survived by a daughter, violist Karen Dreyfus; son Daniel Dreyfus; five grandchildren; and sister Ethel Tumim. —Peter Dobrin, Philly.com, 4 Aug. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vial, borrowed from Anglo-French viel, viele, viole, corresponding to continental Old French viele (by suffix substitution vielle) and viole, from a Gallo-Romance base vi-, attested earliest in Old Occitan viola, viula "viol," of uncertain origin

Note: It has been claimed that the base vi- is of onomatopoeic origin, originally in verbal derivatives (Old French vieller, Old Occitan violar "to play a stringed instrument"), from which the noun designating the instrument is derived. However, it is unlikely that the resemblance between the viola words and Germanic *fiþlō- (whence Old High German fidula, Old English *fiðele; see fiddle entry 1), a noun probably designating a string instrument, is pure chance, and borrowing from Germanic into Gallo-Romance seems more plausible than the reverse direction (despite the unexplained voicing of initial f). Medieval Latin vitula, vidula (best attested in English documents) are not necessarily indicative of an earlier Gallo-Romance form of viola, as the Germanic etymon may have contaminated the Romance word. There is no likely relation between the Medieval Latin words and Latin Vītula "goddess of joy," vītulārī "to utter a cry of exultation," which should have developed quite differently in Romance.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing viol

• bass viol

Kids Definition

viol

noun

vi·​ol ˈvī(-ə)l 

: an old stringed instrument like the violin