viola

/viˈəʊlə/ (bre, ipa) · [vaɪˈolə] /viˈəʊlə/ (ame, ipa) · [vaɪˈolə] /vī-ˈō-lə How to pronounce viola (audio) vē- How to pronounce viola (audio) ˈvī-ə- How to pronounce viola (audio)/ (ame, mw)

viola — noun

  • violasingular
  • violasplural

1. A string instrument that you rest on your shoulder and make sound by drawing a h

1.名詞B1
釋義

A string instrument that you rest on your shoulder and make sound by drawing a horsehair rod across its strings; it is built a bit bigger than a violin, giving out a fuller, less piercing tone.

例句

Karim played the viola in the school orchestra for three years.

play + the + viola (instrument as activity)

The viola section sat in the middle, between the violins and the cellos.

viola section — ensemble position

同義詞
  • violin

    smaller and higher-pitched; the most common instrument of the string family

  • cello

    much larger, held between the knees and played sitting down; tuned an octave below the viola

文法句型

play + the + viola

用法筆記

The player of a viola is called a violist. In orchestral scores, the viola part is written using the alto clef, which most other instruments do not use.

常見錯誤

❌She plays violin in the orchestra' (when she plays the larger instrument).
✅She plays the viola in the orchestra.
💡'Viola' and 'violin' are two different instruments; the viola is larger and tuned lower.

2. Any of a group of small flowering plants that includes the common violet and the

2.名詞C1
釋義

Any of a group of small flowering plants that includes the common violet and the garden pansy, often grown in gardens for their colorful blooms.

例句

The garden was full of violas in shades of purple and yellow.

violas in shades of [color] — describing flower colors

Wei planted violas along the flower bed for a splash of spring color.

plant violas — gardening collocation

同義詞
  • violet

    the common everyday name for small wild violas, usually purple or white

  • pansy

    a larger cultivated viola with showy, multicolored flowers, widely grown in gardens

文法句型

no specific pattern

用法筆記

In everyday conversation, the names 'violet' and 'pansy' are far more common than 'viola' for these flowers. The botanical term 'viola' is used mainly in gardening and plant science contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a bouquet of violas for my mother' (unusual in everyday speech).
✅I bought a bunch of violets for my mother.
💡'Viola' is the scientific genus name; 'violet' or 'pansy' are the usual everyday words.