alto

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alto-

(word root) high

Examples of words with the root alto-: altostratus

al·to

(ăl′tō)

n. pl. al·tos

1. A low female singing voice; a contralto.

2. A countertenor.

a. The range between soprano and tenor.

b. A singer whose voice lies within this range.

c. An instrument that sounds within this range.

d. A vocal or instrumental part written in this range.

[Italian, from Latin altus, high; see al- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

alto

(ˈæltəʊ)

n, pl -tos

1. (Classical Music) the highest adult male voice; countertenor

2. (Music, other) (in choral singing) a shortened form of contralto

3. (Classical Music) a singer with such a voice

4. (Instruments) another name for viola¹¹

5. (Classical Music) a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

adj

(Classical Music) denoting a flute, saxophone, etc, that is the third or fourth highest instrument in its group

[C18: from Italian: high, from Latin altus]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

al•to

(ˈæl toʊ)

n., pl. -tos,
adj. n.

1. contralto.

2. countertenor.

3. the second highest part of a four-part chorus.

4. the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments.

adj.

5. of, pertaining to, or having the range of an alto.

[1775–85; < Italian < Latin altus high]

alto-

var. of alti-: altostratus.

alto

High in Italian. The lower type of female voice, but originally in church music the male high voice above the melody sung by tenors. Now mainly used to describe boys and female voices in choirs.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	alto - a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef countertenor - a male singer with a voice above that of a tenor singer, vocalist, vocalizer, vocaliser - a person who sings
	2.	alto - the lowest female singing voice contralto singing voice - the musical quality of the voice while singing
	3.	alto - the highest adult male singing voice countertenor singing voice - the musical quality of the voice while singing
	4.	alto - (of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments pitch - the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
	5.	alto - the pitch range of the lowest female voice pitch - the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Adj.	1.	alto - of or being the lowest female voice contralto low-pitched, low - used of sounds and voices; low in pitch or frequency
	2.	alto - of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor countertenor high-pitched, high - used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency
	3.	alto - (of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group; "alto clarinet or recorder" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner high-pitched, high - used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency

alto

adjective

Being a sound produced by a relatively small frequency of vibrations:

bass, contralto, deep, low, low-pitched.

Translations

أعْلَى الأصْوَات فِي غِنَاء الرِّجَال

alt

Alt

alto contralto

alt

altrödd

contralto

altas

alts

alt

альт

alt

en kalın kadın sesi

女低音

alto

[ˈæltəʊ]

A. N (= instrument, male singer) → alto m; (= female singer) → contralto f

B. ADJ → alto

C. CPD alto saxophone N → saxofón m alto

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

alto

[ˈæltəʊ]

n (= singer) (female) → contralto m; (male) → haute-contre f

modif [voice] (female) → de contralto; (male) → de haute-contre; [recorder, clarinet] → alto alto saxophone

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

alto

(= voice) → Alt m, → Altstimme f; (= person) → Alt m

(also alto saxophone) → Altsaxofon nt, → Altsaxophon nt

adj → Alt-; an alto voice → eine Altstimme; alto part → Altpartie f

adv to sing alto → Alt singen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

alto

[ˈæltəʊ] n (instrument) → contralto; (male) → contraltino; (female) → contralto

alto

(ˈӕltəu) – plural ˈaltos – noun

(a singer having) a singing voice of the lowest pitch for a woman.

References in classic literature ?

She "carried" the alto by ear, danced without being taught, played the melodeon without knowing the notes.

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It not only makes "a carpenter of a man; it makes a man of a carpenter." In one sense, therefore, it is of greater value than any other institution for the training of men and women that we have, from Cambridge to Palo Alto. It is almost the only one of which it may be said that it points the way to a new epoch in a large area of our national life.

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Again, ten leagues further up Ballenar is situated, and above this Guasco Alto, a horticultural village, famous for its dried fruit.

View in context

As regards one of these foibles, I should not even have mentioned it in this history but for the remarkable prominency - the extreme alto relievo - in which it jutted out from the plane of his general disposition.

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The town of Palo Alto and Stanford University had been sacked in similar fashion, we learned.

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La estructuracion del suelo se mantiene en niveles altos de sustentabilidad en 46% de las muestras, siendo inferior en el area de conurbacion y en las muestras C11 y C13.

INDICATORS FOR SOIL QUALITY MONITORING IN PERI-URBAN AREAS. VALLEY OF QUILOTA, ACONCAGUA BASIN, CHILE/INDICADORES PARA EL MONITOREO DE LA CALIDAD DEL SUELO EN AREAS PERIURBANAS. VALLE DE QUILLOTA, CUENCA DEL ACONCAGUA, CHILE/INDICADORES PARA O MONITORAMENTO DA QUALIDADE DO SOLO EM AREAS PERIURBANAS. VALE DE QUILLOTA, BACIA DO ACONCAGUA, CHILE

Palo Alto, CA, March 13, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Carol & Nicole, one of Silicon Valley's most experienced and trusted real estate teams, recently completed their 500th residential home sale in Palo Alto.

Leading Silicon Valley Real Estate Team Surpasses 500 Homes Sold in Palo Alto

The company has asked its more than 800 sales network centers and nearly 2,740 service workshops to check and repair the affected Altos, but a spokesman played down the episode, saying it is not a recall.

MARUTI TO FIX OIL LEAKAGE PROBLEM

FOR almost three decades there has been an Alto in the Suzuki line up, the Japanese car maker having delivered six generations of the Suzuki city car.

High on city abilities

w ith a declared intention of pitching ever higher in the small car stakes, suzuki has an all new version of the alto.

Alto hits all the right notes in family sector

El Sombrero, La Piazzetta, and Cafe del Sol are specialty restaurants at Altos de Chavon, and Chinois is based at the resort's marina.