viola

noun

Meaning

A stringed instrument of the violin family that is slightly larger than a violin and produces a lower, warmer sound.

She studied the viola for ten years before joining the local symphony orchestra.
The composer wrote a beautiful solo passage specifically for the viola.

Synonyms: instrument, string instrument, fiddle, alto violin

noun

Pronunciation: viˈoʊlə

A stringed instrument of the violin family that is slightly larger than a violin and produces a lower, warmer sound.

She studied the viola for ten years before joining the local symphony orchestra.
The composer wrote a beautiful solo passage specifically for the viola.
The string quartet features two violins, a viola, and a cello.

play the viola (collocation): to perform music on the instrument — "He learned to play the viola at a very young age."
viola section (collocation): the group of musicians playing this instrument in an orchestra — "The viola section provided a rich, dark texture to the symphony."

Words with a similar meaning to viola: