piano

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

pi·​a·​no pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 

: at a soft volume : soft

—used as a direction in music

piano

2 of 2

noun

pi·​ano pē-ˈa-(ˌ)nō 

also

-ˈä- 

plural pianos

: a musical instrument having steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard

Examples of piano in a Sentence

Noun

Do you play the piano?

He takes piano lessons on Wednesdays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Photo : Italy Sotheby’s International Realty There is a suite of reception rooms on the upper floor, the piano nobile, as well. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2025

Over his now decade-and-a-half-long career, fans of the alt-pop auteur—real name Mike Hadreas—have only seen his work grow in scale and power, evolving from twinkling piano bedroom ballads to ambitious blasts of sonic splendor that careen through the gray areas between genre. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025

His father, Charles, was a salesman for a company that sold fixtures to supermarkets, and his mother, Elsa, was a housewife who played the piano. —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025

In a second video, Jayden continued to play the piano while sitting on a bench as Spears walked behind him. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 29 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

Italian, from Late Latin planus smooth, from Latin, level — more at floor

Noun

Italian, short for pianoforte, from gravicembalo col piano e forte, literally, harpsichord with soft and loud; from the fact that its tones could be varied in loudness

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1683, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1772, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing piano

• forte-piano
• grand piano
• mezzo piano
• piano accordion
• piano bar
• piano hinge
• player piano
• stride piano
• thumb piano
• upright piano

Rhymes for piano

• cyano

Kids Definition

piano

1 of 2 adverb or adjective

pi·​a·​no pē-ˈän-ō 

: in a soft or quiet manner

—used as a direction in music

piano

2 of 2 noun

pi·​ano pē-ˈan-ō 

plural pianos

: a musical instrument consisting of a large frame holding steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers which are operated from a keyboard

pianist

pē-ˈan-əst

ˈpē-ə-nəst

noun

Etymology

Noun

from Italian piano "a keyboard musical instrument," a shortened form of pianoforte, from piano "soft" and forte "loud"; so called because, unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it could be played with varying degrees of loudness

Biographical Definition

Piano

biographical name

Pi·​a·​no pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 

Renzo 1937–     Italian architect