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viola

 - 9 dictionary results

vi⋅o⋅la

1[vee-oh-luh]
–noun
1. a four-stringed musical instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than the violin; a tenor or alto violin.
2. a labial organ stop of eight-foot or four-foot pitch, giving tones of a penetrating stringlike quality.

Origin:
1715–25; < It viola < OPr viola; see viol

vi⋅o⋅la

2[vahy-uh-luh, vahy-oh-, vee-]
–noun
1. any plant of the genus Viola, esp. a cultivated variety. Compare pansy (def. 1), violet (defs. 1, 2).
2. a pansy, V. cornuta, cultivated as a garden plant.

Origin:
1400–50; late ME: violet < L: violet

Vi⋅o⋅la

[vahy-uh-luh, vee-; vahy-oh-luh, vee-]
–noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To viola
vi·o·la 1   (vē-ō'lə)   
n.  
  1. A stringed instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than a violin, tuned a fifth lower, and having a deeper, more sonorous tone.

  2. An organ stop usually of eight-foot or four-foot pitch yielding stringlike tones.


[Italian, from Old Provençal, viola, probably of imitative origin.]
vi·o'list n.
vi·o·la 2   (vī-ō'lə, vē-, vī'ə-lə)   
n.  A plant of the genus Viola, which includes the violets and pansies, especially a variety having flowers resembling violets in size and shape and pansies in coloration.

[Middle English, from Latin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

viola [(vee-oh-luh)]

A musical instrument shaped like a violin but somewhat larger, lower pitched, and “darker” in tone. A viola player holds a viola like a violin, under the chin.

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

viola 
tenor violin, 1797, from It. viola, from O.Prov. viola, from M.L. vitula "stringed instrument," perhaps from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy (see fiddle), or from related L. verb vitulari "to exult, be joyful." Viola da gamba "bass viol" (1724) is from It., lit. "a viola for the leg" (i.e. to hold between the legs).

Viola 
fem. proper name, from L. viola "the violet" (see violet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

Viola
An experimental hypercard-like interpreted hypertext system by Pei Y. Wei of Berkeley.
(1994-11-30)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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