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# violin

noun (a violin, violins)

«violin» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A violin is a musical instrument made of wood with four strings, which you hold under your chin and play with a bow or by plucking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#m1)
2. The violin also means the part a violinist plays in a band or orchestra («She plays first violin»). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#m2)

### In the lessons

In music lessons the violin is part of the string family, with the viola, cello and double bass; it is the smallest and highest-sounding of them. In science it shows that sound is made by vibrations: shorter or tighter strings give a higher note. In everyday life children learn the violin in school music programmes and orchestras. Phrases: «play the violin», «violin lessons», «violin case», «a violin bow».

### Examples

- My sister plays the violin in the school orchestra. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x1)
- He practises the violin for twenty minutes every evening. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x2)
- The violin has four strings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x3)
- You draw the bow across the strings to make a sound. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x4)
- A violin is smaller than a cello. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x5)
- She carried her violin in a black case. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x6)
- The violin sounded sad and beautiful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x7)
- When you press a string down, the note gets higher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x8)
- When this was done, she called to a man who was waiting with a violin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/#x9)

### Note

Countable: a violin, violins. Use «the» with instruments you play: «play the violin». A person who plays it is a violinist. A «fiddle» is the same instrument, used especially in folk and country music. The viola looks similar but is a little bigger and lower.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «violin» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/violin/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«violin» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/violin.html) on Mova free.