# violin

/vaɪəˈɫɪn/ (US) · /vaɪəlˈɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/violin
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. musical instrument

noun · CEFR A2

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

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

- She practiced the violin for two hours every afternoon before dinner.
- The soloist performed the concerto on a rare eighteenth-century violin, demonstrating the instrument's exceptional tonal range and clarity.

### 2. the player

noun · CEFR B2

a person who plays the violin in an orchestra.

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

- He is the lead violin in the local youth orchestra.
- The conductor gestured toward the first violins to signal the beginning of the lyrical second movement.

## Examples

- She practices the violin for an hour every morning.
- The orchestra's lead musician stood up to play a beautiful solo on her antique violin.
- While the piano provides a harmonic foundation, the violin often carries the primary melody in a string quartet, requiring both technical precision and emotional expression from the performer.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.