Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

soprano

 - 4 dictionary results

so⋅pran⋅o

[suh-pran-oh, -prah-noh] noun, plural -pran⋅os, adjective Music.
–noun
1. the uppermost part or voice.
2. the highest singing voice in women and boys.
3. a part for such a voice.
4. a singer with such a voice.
–adjective
5. of or pertaining to a soprano; having the compass of a soprano.

Origin:
1720–30; < It: lit., what is above, high, equiv. to sopra (< L suprā above) + -ano adj. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To soprano
so·pran·o   (sə-prān'ō, -prä'nō)   
n.   pl. so·pran·os
  1. The highest singing voice of a woman or young boy.

  2. A singer having such a voice.

  3. The tonal range characteristic of a soprano.

  4. An instrument that sounds within this range.

  5. Abbr. S A vocal or instrumental part written within this range.


[Italian, from sopra, above, from Latin suprā; see uper in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

soprano

The highest range of the female singing voice. (Compare alto and mezzo soprano.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

soprano 
1730, "the highest singing voice," from It. soprano "the treble in music," lit. "high," from sopra "above," from L. supra, fem. abl. sing. of super (see super-). Meaning "a singer having a soprano voice" is from 1738. Soprano saxophone is attested from 1859.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see soprano on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: