ENGLISH
REFERENCE

violin

n.
US //vaɪəˈɫɪn// UK //vaɪəlˈɪn// vi·o·lin
  1. 1 musical instrument (n.)
    A2 Elementary Music

    a small wooden instrument with four strings that you play by moving a bow across them.

    a small, unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths, played with a horsehair bow.

    Example

    She practiced the violin for two hours every afternoon before dinner.

    Example

    The soloist performed the concerto on a rare eighteenth-century violin, demonstrating the instrument's exceptional tonal range and clarity.
  2. 2 the player (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Music

    a person who plays the violin in an orchestra.

    a violinist within an ensemble, often used to distinguish between first and second sections.

    Example

    He is the lead violin in the local youth orchestra.

    Example

    The conductor gestured toward the first violins to signal the beginning of the lyrical second movement.
Origin

From Italian violino (“little viola”), from viola + -ino (forming diminutives).

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

Word family
Idioms1 entry

Last updated June 20, 2026