Hypertext Webster Gateway: "alto"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Viola \Vi"o*la\, n. [It. See {Viol}.] (Mus.)
An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but
larger, and a fifth lower in compass.
{Viola da braccio} [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol,
or viola, a fifth lower than the violin. Its part is
written in the alto clef, hence it is sometimes called the
{alto}.
{Viola da gamba} [It., viol for the leg], an instrument
resembling the viola, but larger, and held between the
knees. It is now rarely used.
{Viola da spalla} [It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument
formerly used, resembling the viola, and intermediate in
size between the viola and the viola da gamba.
{Viola di amore} [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole d'amour], a
viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon,
and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These,
sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a
peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Alto \Al"to\, n.; pl. {Altos}. [It. alto high, fr. L. altus. Cf.
{Alt}.]
1. (Mus.) Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or
counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest
female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and
soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor.
2. An alto singer.
{Alto clef} (Mus.) the counter-tenor clef, or the C clef,
placed so that the two strokes include the middle line of
the staff. --Moore.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
alto
adj 1: of or being the lowest female voice [syn: {contralto}]
2: of or being the highest male voice; having a range above
that of tenor [syn: {countertenor}]
3: (of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group;
"alto clarinet or recorder"
n 1: a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef
2: the lowest female singing voice [syn: {contralto}]
3: the highest adult male singing voice [syn: {countertenor}]
4: the pitch range of the lowest female voice
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.