Piccolo

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpɪkÉ™ləʊ/

Origin

From Italian piccolo ("small").

Full definition of piccolo

Noun

1. (musici) An instrument similar to a flute, but smaller, and playing an octave higher.
2. A waiter's assistant in a hotel or restaurant.
• 1910, Saki, ‘The Soul of Laploshka’, Reginald in Russia:as I fled I felt Laploshka's reproachful eyes watching the amount that I gave to the piccolo – out of his two francs.
3. A bottle of champagne containing 0.1875 liters of fluid, 1/4 the volume of a standard bottle; a quarter bottle or snipe.

Derived terms

• piccoloist