a large stringed instrument; seated player holds it upright while playing
"The concert hall echoed with the deep, resonant tones of the cello as the musician sat on stage holding the large stringed instrument upright."
A large stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings, tuned from lowest to highest C-G-D-A, and played with a bow, also possessing an endpin to support the instrument's weight.
"The plastic wrap used to cover the food was actually a thin sheet of cello."
cellophane
In plain English: A cello is a large stringed instrument that musicians play by bowing or plucking its strings while sitting down and holding it between their knees.
"She sat next to the piano and began playing her cello with great skill."
Usage: Do not confuse "cello" with "cell," which refers to a small room or biological unit. The spelling is distinct because it derives from the Italian word for the instrument itself.
Cello is a shortened version of the Italian word violoncello, which literally means "little bass." The name describes the instrument's size relative to its larger ancestor, the double bass.