piano
1 of 2adverb or adjective
pi·a·no
pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 
: at a soft volume : soft
—used as a direction in music
pi·ano
pē-ˈa-(ˌ)nō
also
-ˈä-
plural pianos
: a musical instrument having steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard
Examples of piano in a Sentence
Noun
Do you play the piano?
He takes piano lessons on Wednesdays.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Davey Johnston’s spacey slide guitar twists and turns around a crisp, clean piano melody, building to crescendoing intergalactic piano and rock riffs.
—Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Related article How to build supertall: Designers of the world’s tallest towers share their secrets
Steinway Tower, or 111 West 57th Street, was completed in 2022 on the site once occupied by the historic Steinway & Sons piano company.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Hannah Voigt taught piano in Oak Park and performed in the Chicago area for six decades while also mentoring other piano teachers through the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piano
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Noun
Liam also liked seeing the toys the kids’ had played with years ago, and the way the piano inside the house’s parlor played by itself.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Davey Johnston’s spacey slide guitar twists and turns around a crisp, clean piano melody, building to crescendoing intergalactic piano and rock riffs.
—Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Related article How to build supertall: Designers of the world’s tallest towers share their secrets
Steinway Tower, or 111 West 57th Street, was completed in 2022 on the site once occupied by the historic Steinway & Sons piano company.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Hannah Voigt taught piano in Oak Park and performed in the Chicago area for six decades while also mentoring other piano teachers through the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piano
Cite this Entry
“Piano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piano. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piano
1 of 2 adverb or adjective
pi·a·no
pē-ˈän-ō
: in a soft or quiet manner
—used as a direction in music
piano
2 of 2 noun
pi·ano
pē-ˈan-ō
plural pianos
: a musical instrument consisting of a large frame holding steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers which are operated from a keyboard
pianist
noun
pē-ˈan-əst
ˈpē-ə-nəst
Etymology
Noun
from Italian piano "a keyboard musical instrument," a shortened form of pianoforte, from piano "soft" and forte "loud"; so called because, unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it could be played with varying degrees of loudness
Biographical Definition
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