Definition of "piano"

piano¹

/piˈænoʊ/

noun
plural pianos or (archaic) pianoes
1. (music) a percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings
verb
third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed
1. To play the piano.
  Quotations
  Anyhow I pianoed to my own ear, and had no thought at that time for an audience.
  1967, Harry F. Chaplin, A McCrae Miscellany, page 41
  Who comforted me with Madeleines and lime tea, with whipped cream in my cocoa in far off Ann Arbor while others selfishly fiddled, bassooned, pianoed only for their own ugly self-advancement!
  1978, Bertha Harris, Confessions of Cherubino, page 96
  John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, Arnold Weinstein, and others came to the house, taping their poems as I pianoed and zithered and drummed away.
  2008, John Gruen, Callas Kissed Me...Lenny Too!, page 138
  We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.
  2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē, page 139
2. (of or with fingers) To move (the fingers) up and down on, similar to the motions of a pianist playing the piano.
  Quotations
  He just stared at her, leaned back in his chair and pianoed his fingers along the tablecloth.
  2013, Ann Blair Kloman, A Diamond to Die For, page 29
  “Jean, it ain't right how you separated those two,” he said, and pianoed the little coffin with his fingers, tapping out his grievance.
  2017, Kim Michele Richardson, The Sisters of Glass Ferry
  The superintendent pianoed his fingers on the surface of a nearby desk.
  2020, Simon Lelic, The Search Party
  Holly pianoed her fingers over her throat.
  2021, Emilya Naymark, Hide in Place
3. To equip with a piano.
  Quotations
  Other buildings will also be erected and pianoed by the same architect.
  1889, The Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer, page 128
  A tabernacle has been built, burnt, rebuilt, electric lighted, organed, pianoed, and frequently filled — all during the last two years.
  1892, The Japan Daily Mail - Volume 18, page 772

piano²

/piˈɑnoʊ/

adverb
not comparable
1. (music) softly, as a musical direction (abbreviated to p. in sheet music)
adjective
comparative more piano, superlative most piano
1. (music) Soft, quiet.
2. (in extended use) Gentle, soft, subdued.
  Quotations
  “Oh! yes, yes, there is not a word to be said against James Benwick […] that soft sort of manner does not do him justice.” […] “Well, well, ladies are the best judges; but James Benwick is rather too piano for me […] ”
  1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XVIII, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume IV, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818)
  ‘Tradecraft, Chris,’ Enderby put in, who liked his bit of jargon, and Martindale, still piano, shot him a glance of admiration.
  1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society, published 2010, page 160
verb
third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed
1. To become softer and less intense.
  Quotations
  “You know, Mrs. Wrigglechops,” pianoed Miss Drucilla , even more meekly and mildly than before, "the ace is either one or eleven."
  1839, Rosina Doyle Bulwer afterwards Bulwer Lytton (Baroness Lytton.), Cheveley; Or, The Man of Honour, page 385
  His tone pianoed on intimacy.
  2000, David R. Beasley, Aspects of Love: Three novellas, page 83
  A day pianoed, swelled acutest, pianoed.
  2009, David Lau, Virgil and the Mountain Cat, page 61

Definition of "piano"

piano1

noun

verb

Quotations

Quotations

Quotations

piano2

adverb

adjective

Quotations

verb

Quotations

piano¹

piano²