Definition

1. Noun:
   • A musician who plays the viola: A "violist" is a person who performs music on the viola, a stringed instrument slightly larger and lower in pitch than a violin.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She is the principal violist in the city's symphony orchestra.
  • The string quartet consists of two violinists, a violist, and a cellist.

Advanced Usage

• The term "violist" refers specifically to a performer. It is not used to describe someone who makes or repairs violas (that is a "viola maker" or "luthier").

Variants and Related Words

• Viola (n): The instrument played by a violist.
• Violist can be confused with violinist (a player of the violin) due to the similarity in instrument names.

Synonyms

• Viola player: A direct synonym for violist.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "violist" has only one primary meaning in modern English: a player of the viola. It should not be confused with the historical term for a player of the viol, a different family of early string instruments (such as the viola da gamba). A player of those instruments is typically called a viol player or violist da gamba.

Noun

1. a musician who plays the viola