soprano meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

soprano

noun

US /səˈpɹænoʊ/

Etymology Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superānus, adjective from preposition Latin super (“above”). Doublet of sovereign, from the same Latin root via Old French.

The musical part higher in pitch than alto, typically encompassing the range of the treble clef.

A person or instrument that performs the soprano part.

boy soprano
soprano saxophone

1 more example

I was only once faced with the task of auditioning a nimiety of sopranos.2008, Denis Norden, chapter 8, in Chips from a Life, →ISBN:

Derived terms: coloratura soprano, dramatic soprano, lyric soprano, mezzo-soprano, operatic soprano, singing soprano, sing soprano, sopranino, sopranist, soprano clarinet, sopranoist, sopranoless, sopranolike, soprano recorder, soprano sax, soprano saxophone, soprano saxophonist, spinto soprano
Coordinate terms: mezzo-soprano, contralto, countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass, SATB

soprano

verb

Etymology Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superānus, adjective from preposition Latin super (“above”). Doublet of sovereign, from the same Latin root via Old French.

To sing or utter with high pitch.

"Sure they ain't done me no harm," sopranoed the woman.1953, Isaac Asimov, The Caves of Steel: