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

The quintet features those jaunty country folky jazzy guitar leads as well as violin, accordion and a big bass sound. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025

Design with the obsolescence of the interface front and center, and make your product the conductor, not the first violin. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

Utility man John McFee, who joined in 1980, adds violin while Michael McDonald, who returned to the group in 2019, strums away on a mandolin from behind his keyboard. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025

For example, when the violins sway alongside the Tin Man, Freeman could sway those specific stems, but not the rest of the orchestra. —Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 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