The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. A musical instrument with a manual keyboard actuating hammers that strike wire strings, producing sounds that may be softened or sustained by means of pedals.
ad. In a soft or quiet tone. Used chiefly as a direction.
n. A keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings.
adj. Soft, quiet.
adj. In extended use; quiet, subdued.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
adjective-and-adverb. Soft; -- a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p.)
n. A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling the harpsichord, and consisting of a series of wires of graduated length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by keys.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
In music, soft; with little force or loudness: opposed to forte. Usually abbreviated p.
n. A pianoforte.
Softly; in a low tone or voice. Abbreviated p.
n. A passage or series of notes sung or played softly; a soft or gentle tone.
n. In Italian, a story; a floor; the French étage: in English, used only in such borrowed phrases as piano nobile, the principal story; pian' terreno, a ground floor.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
adj. used chiefly as a direction or description in music
n. (music) low loudness
ad. used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly
n. a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
Word Usage
"With a fine piano or a violin, whether the effect is to be _piano_ or _fortissimo, _ the touch should be only with the amount of force needed to give a clear vibration, and the ease with which a fortissimo effect is thus produced is astonishing."