piano
1 of 2adverb or adjective
pi·a·no
pē-ˈä-(ˌ)nō 
: at a soft volume : soft
—used as a direction in music
pi·ano
pē-ˈa-(ˌ)nō
also
-ˈä-
plural pianos
: a musical instrument having steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated from a keyboard
Examples of piano in a Sentence
Noun
Do you play the piano?
He takes piano lessons on Wednesdays.
Recent Examples on the Web
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Wyffels co-wrote and played multiple instruments — including piano, flute, synthesizer and more — on songs from Perfume Genius’ last five albums, including Too Bright, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately and Ugly Season.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
The work, which King has described as a meditation on love, resilience and inner-strength, is set to Black spirituals and Jewish liturgical music, features vocals by the great singer Lisa Fischer and a score by piano great Jason Moran, artists with whom the collab-happy King has worked before.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
The club soon earned a national reputation after jazz piano sensation McCoy Tyner performed in October of 1988.
—Sophia Arndt, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piano
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In a career that stretched across seven decades, Mike Wofford provided exactly the right touch on piano in any and every musical setting.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Wyffels co-wrote and played multiple instruments — including piano, flute, synthesizer and more — on songs from Perfume Genius’ last five albums, including Too Bright, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately and Ugly Season.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
The work, which King has described as a meditation on love, resilience and inner-strength, is set to Black spirituals and Jewish liturgical music, features vocals by the great singer Lisa Fischer and a score by piano great Jason Moran, artists with whom the collab-happy King has worked before.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
The club soon earned a national reputation after jazz piano sensation McCoy Tyner performed in October of 1988.
—Sophia Arndt, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piano
Cite this Entry
“Piano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piano. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piano
1 of 2 adverb or adjective
pi·a·no
pē-ˈän-ō
: in a soft or quiet manner
—used as a direction in music
piano
2 of 2 noun
pi·ano
pē-ˈan-ō
plural pianos
: a musical instrument consisting of a large frame holding steel wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers which are operated from a keyboard
pianist
noun
pē-ˈan-əst
ˈpē-ə-nəst
Etymology
Noun
from Italian piano "a keyboard musical instrument," a shortened form of pianoforte, from piano "soft" and forte "loud"; so called because, unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it could be played with varying degrees of loudness
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share