Pianoforte, pi-ä′no-fōr′tā, generally shortened to Piano (pi-an′ō), n. a musical instrument furnished with wires struck by little hammers which are moved by keys, so as to produce both soft and strong sounds.—ns. Pianette′, a small piano; Pianino (pē-a-nē′nō), an upright pianoforte; Pian′ism, the technique of the pianoforte: arrangement of music for the pianoforte.—adv. Pianis′simo, very softly.—n. Pian′ist, one who plays on the pianoforte, or one well skilled in it.—adv. Piän′o (mus.), softly.—ns. Pian′o-school, a school where piano music is taught; Pian′o-stool, a stool on which the player sits at the piano.—Boudoir, or Cabinet, piano, an upright piano. [It., piano, soft—L. planus, plane, forte, strong—L. fortis, strong.]
Piarist, pī′ar-ist, n. one of a religious congregation for the education of the poor, founded in Rome in 1617 by Joseph Calasanza. [L. pius, pious.]
Piassava, pi-as′a-va, n. a coarse stiff fibre used for rope-making in Brazil.—Also Piass′aba. [Port.]
Piastre, Piaster, pi-as′tėr, n. a silver coin of varying value, used in Turkey and other countries: the Spanish dollar. [Fr.,—It. piastra.]
Piazza, pi-az′a, n. a place or square surrounded by buildings: a walk under a roof supported by pillars.—adj. Piazz′ian. [It.,—L. platea, a place.]
Pibroch, pē′broh, n. a form of bagpipe music, generally of a warlike character, including marches, dirges, &c. [Gael. piobaireachd, pipe-music—piobair, a piper—piob, a pipe, fear, a man.]
Pica, pī′ka, n. a size of type smaller than English and larger than Small pica, equal to 12 points in the new system of sizes, about 6 lines to the inch, used by printers as a standard unit of measurement for thickness and length of leads, rules, borders, &c.—as 6-to-pica or 10-to-pica, according as 6 or 10 leads set together make a line of pica.—Double pica, a size equal to 2 lines of small pica; Double small pica, a size of type giving about 3⅓ lines to the inch; Small pica, a size smaller than pica and larger than long-primer, about 11 points; Two-line pica, a size of about 3 lines to the inch, equal to 2 lines of pica, or to 24 points. [Pie (2).]
Pica, pī′ka, n. a magpie. [Pie.]
Picador, pik-a-dōr′, n. a horseman armed with a lance, who commences a bull-fight by pricking the bull with his weapon. [Sp. pica, a pike.]
Picamar, pik′a-mär, n. the bitter principle of tar. [L. pix, pitch, amarus, bitter.]