cello

A clipping of the original name violoncello, from Italian violoncello (“little violone”), from violone (“an early form of the double bass”) + -cello (“-elle, forming diminutives”), violone (“big viola”) itself being derived from viola + -one (“-oon, forming augmentatives”).

• (dated) 'cello

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃɛləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɛloʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛləʊ

cello (plural cellos or (rare) celli)

1. A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
   • 2006 Nov. 22, Rob Paravonian, "Pachabel Rant", 00:00:33:

     I haven't always been this cool because I haven't always played guitar. I started out on the cello. Yeah, the cello is a wonderful, beautiful instrument. It's cool to be an adult that plays the cello. Being a kid that played the cello sucked, cause there's no way to be cool when your instrument is larger than you. When you walk to school with a cello you're like a wounded gazelle on the Serengeti, man. The bullies just smell you coming from a mile away.

   • 2020 Aug. 9, Jeffrey Meyers, "Fitzgerald and Hemingway: A Tortured Friendship", The Article:

     Fitzgerald saw that Hemingway, oppressed by his mother's influence, was "still rebelling against having been made to take cello lessons when growing up."

   Synonym: violoncello

• → Tokelauan: helo

• Robin Stowell (1999) The Cambridge Companion to the Cello, page 1

Shortening of cellophane.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛloʊ/
• Rhymes: -ɛləʊ

cello (uncountable)

1. cellophane
   • 2011, Ava Carroll-Brown, Where Is Your Mother?:

     Chocolates arranged in a candy dish or basket, antique or purchased in accordance to^[sic] the personal taste of the host/hostess, wrapped with cello wrap and tied with a lovely ribbon—decadent!

• Colle

cello c (singular definite celloen, plural indefinite celloer)

1. cello

• violoncel c

• cellist c

Shortening of violoncello, from Italian violoncello. Influenced by German Cello.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʃɛ.loː/, /ˈsɛ.loː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cel‧lo

cello m (plural cello's, diminutive cellootje n)

1. cello

• cellist

• → Indonesian: selo
• → Papiamentu: chèlo

From Italian violoncello.

cello m (definite singular celloen, indefinite plural celloer, definite plural celloene)

1. cello

• “cello” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Italian violoncello.

cello m (definite singular celloen, indefinite plural celloar, definite plural celloane)

1. cello

• “cello” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Unadapted borrowing from Italian cello.

cello n (uncountable)

1. cello

cello c

1. cello

• cellist