English Reference

Word

pianist

Phoneticspi·anist

US/ˈpiənɪst/

UK/pˈiənɪst/

Definitions

01musician

A2 · Music

n. a person who plays the piano, especially as a professional or with great skill.

n. a person who plays the piano, typically implying a degree of proficiency or professional status.

“The pianist played a beautiful song at the end of the wedding.”

“The concert pianist received a standing ovation after her flawless interpretation of the Rachmaninoff concerto.”

Synonyms

playerperformerkeyboardist

02wartime radio operator

C2

n. a secret name for a spy who used a radio to send messages during World War II.

n. a clandestine radio operator during the Second World War, responsible for transmitting intelligence to headquarters.

“In the old movie, the pianist sent secret codes from a hidden room.”

“Operating under constant threat of detection, the pianist transmitted the troop movements to London using a portable wireless set.”

Archaic

Synonyms

radio operatortelegraphist

Etymology

From French pianiste, from Italian pianista. Analyzable as piano + -ist.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The word in film

The Pianist · 2002 · War

Directed by:
Roman Polanski
Starring:
Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Emilia Fox

Roman Polanski directed this historical drama about a Polish Jewish musician who struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto during World War II. Adrien Brody plays the lead role, portraying a man whose professional talent and love for music become his primary means of enduring the horrors of the war.

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference