A musical four-string instrument, generally played with a bow or by plucking the string, with the pitch set by pressing the strings at the appropriate place with the fingers; also any instrument of the violin family.
"The talented student began her practice session by tuning the violin before playing a lively melody for her teacher."
In plain English: A violin is a small stringed instrument that musicians play by drawing a bow across its strings to make music.
"She plays the violin beautifully in her school orchestra."
Usage: A violin is a bowed stringed instrument that produces high-pitched sounds and serves as the primary solo voice in orchestral strings. While it can be plucked for specific effects like pizzicato, its standard role involves sustained notes created by drawing a bow across the strings.
To play on, or as if on, a violin.
"The orchestra leader began to vibrate his bow across the strings of his own body before the first note was played."
In plain English: There is no verb form of violin because it is only used as a noun to name the musical instrument.
"He tried to violin his way out of the exam by playing soft music on his phone."
The word violin comes from the Italian violino, meaning "little viola." It was formed by adding a suffix to the word viola to indicate its smaller size.