English Dictionary

ALTO

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does alto mean? 

ALTO (noun)
  The noun ALTO has 5 senses:

1. a singer whose voice lies in the alto clefplay

2. the lowest female singing voiceplay

3. the highest adult male singing voiceplay

4. (of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instrumentsplay

5. the pitch range of the lowest female voiceplay

  Familiarity information: ALTO used as a noun is common.


ALTO (adjective)
  The adjective ALTO has 3 senses:

1. of or being the lowest female voiceplay

2. of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenorplay

3. (of a musical instrument) second highest member of a groupplay

  Familiarity information: ALTO used as an adjective is uncommon.


 Dictionary entry details 


ALTO (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A singer whose voice lies in the alto clef

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("alto" is a kind of...):

singer; vocaliser; vocalist; vocalizer (a person who sings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alto"):

countertenor (a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor)


Sense 2

Meaning:

The lowest female singing voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

alto; contralto

Hypernyms ("alto" is a kind of...):

singing voice (the musical quality of the voice while singing)

Derivation:

alto (of or being the lowest female voice)


Sense 3

Meaning:

The highest adult male singing voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

alto; countertenor

Hypernyms ("alto" is a kind of...):

singing voice (the musical quality of the voice while singing)

Derivation:

alto (of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor)


Sense 4

Meaning:

(of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("alto" is a kind of...):

pitch (the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration)

Derivation:

alto ((of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group)


Sense 5

Meaning:

The pitch range of the lowest female voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("alto" is a kind of...):

pitch (the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration)

Derivation:

alto (of or being the lowest female voice)


ALTO (adjective)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or being the lowest female voice

Synonyms:

alto; contralto

Similar:

low; low-pitched (used of sounds and voices; low in pitch or frequency)

Derivation:

alto (the pitch range of the lowest female voice)

alto (the lowest female singing voice)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor

Synonyms:

alto; countertenor

Similar:

high; high-pitched (used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency)

Derivation:

alto (the highest adult male singing voice)


Sense 3

Meaning:

(of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group

Context example:

alto clarinet or recorder

Similar:

high; high-pitched (used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Derivation:

alto ((of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments)


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