viola

1 of 2

noun (1)

vi·​o·​la vī-ˈō-lə  vē-  ˈvī-ə- 

: violet sense 1a

especially : any of various garden hybrids with solitary white, yellow, or purple often variegated flowers resembling but smaller than typical pansies

viola

2 of 2

noun (2)

vi·​o·​la vē-ˈō-lə 

: a musical instrument of the violin family that is intermediate in size and compass between the violin and cello and is tuned a fifth below the violin

violist

vē-ˈō-list 

noun

Examples of viola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Although all are botanically Viola, colloquially, violas have smaller but more numerous blooms, and seem to be a touch more cold-hardy compared to pansies. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024

Pansies and their viola relatives can be added to flower beds or container gardens. —Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024

Lesh played viola and trumpet in school but gradually became more interested in composing than in performing. —Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024

Not to get too in the weeds, but the violin is tuned like a mandolin, a viola’s tuned like a manola, and the cello is tuned like a mandecello. —Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Latin, "violet" — more at violet

Noun (2)

borrowed from Italian, "viola, viol," borrowed from Old Occitan viola, viula "viol" — more at viol

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1786, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing viola

• viola da gamba
• viola d'amore

Kids Definition

viola

1 of 2 noun

vi·​o·​la vī-ˈō-lə  vē- 

: violet sense 1a

especially : any of various garden plants that have white, yellow, purple, or variously colored flowers and that resemble but are smaller than the related pansies

viola

2 of 2 noun

vi·​o·​la vē-ˈō-lə 

: a stringed musical instrument like a violin but slightly larger and lower in pitch