PIANO Pi*a"no, a. & adv. Etym: [It., even, smooth, soft, fr. L. planus even, level.] (Mus.)
Defn: Soft; — a direction to the performer to execute a certain passage softly, and with diminished volume of tone. (Abbrev. p.)
PIANO; PIANOFORTE
Pi*an"o, Pi*an"o*for`te, n. Etym: [It. piano soft (fr. L. planus
even, smooth; see Plain, a.) + It. forte strong, fr. L. fortis (see
Fort).] (Mus.)
Defn: A well-known musical instrument somewhat resembling the harpsichord, and consisting of a sreies of wires of graduated length, thickness, and tension, struck by hammers moved by keys. Dumb piano. See Digitorium. — Grand piano. See under Grand. — Square piano, one with a horizontal frame and an oblong case. — Upright piano, one with an upright frame and vertical wires.
PIANOGRAPH
Pi*an"o*graph, n. Etym: [Piano + -graph.] (Mus.)
Defn: A form of melodiograph applied to a piano.
PIAPEC
Pi"a*pec, n. Etym: [Cf. Pie a magpie.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A West African pie (Ptilostomus Senegalensis).
PIARIST
Pi"a*rist, n. Etym: [L. pius pious.] (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: One of a religious order who are the regular clerks of the
Scuole Pie (religious schools), an institute of secondary education,
founded at Rome in the last years of the 16th century. Addis &
Arnold.