Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A stringed instrument, the bass of the viol family, with approximately the range of the cello.
- noun An organ stop of eight-foot pitch yielding tones similar to those of the viola da gamba.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
viol , usually much larger than theviolin , played while seated and supported between the legs. The instrument was developed in Europe in the 1400s and used primarily in theRenaissance andBaroque periods.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun viol that is the bass member of the viol family with approximately the range of the cello
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Italian : viola, viol + da, of, for + gamba, leg.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Italian viola da gamba ("viol of leg")
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Examples
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reesetee commented on the word viola da gamba
Also called viol; any of a family of bowed, fretted stringed musical instruments developed in the 1400s and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
March 20, 2008