name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Colloquial Variant guide
alto
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /ˈæl.təʊ/
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US: /ˈæl.toʊ/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -æltəʊ
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CMU ARPABET: AE1 L T OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 3
initialism of air launch to orbit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Topics: aerospace, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A person or musical instrument that performs the alto part.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An alto saxophone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
(of a musical instrument) second highest member of a group
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- alto clarinet or recorder
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
of or being the highest male voice; having a range above that of tenor
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: countertenor
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
of or being the lowest female voice
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contralto
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
the pitch range of the lowest female voice
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pitch
noun
Meaning 11
(of a musical instrument) the second highest instrument in a family of musical instruments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pitch
noun
Meaning 12
the highest adult male singing voice
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: countertenor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: singing voice
noun
Meaning 13
the lowest female singing voice
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contralto
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: singing voice
noun
Meaning 14
a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: singer, vocalist, vocalizer, vocaliser
Narrower terms: countertenor
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish alto.
Borrowed from Italian alto (“high”). Doublet of old.
Across languages
Translations
49 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: ألتو — musical part
- Armenian: ալտ (alt) — musical part
- Bulgarian: алт (alt) — musical part
- Chinese Mandarin: 中音 (zhōngyīn) — musical part
- Czech: alt — musical part
- Dutch: alt — musical part
- Finnish: altto — musical part
- French: alto — musical part
- Georgian: ალტო (alṭo) — musical part
- German: Alt — musical part
- Greek: κοντράλτο (kontrálto) — musical part
- Hungarian: alt — musical part
- Irish: alt — musical part
- Irish: cuach — musical part
- Japanese: アルト (aruto) — musical part
- Korean: 알토 (alto) — musical part
- Korean: 여성저음 (yeoseongjeo'eum) — musical part
- Korean: 녀성저음 (nyeoseongjeo'eum) — musical part
- Māori: reo pekerangi — musical part
- Polish: alt — musical part
- Portuguese: contralto — musical part
- Russian: альт (alʹt) — musical part
- Spanish: alto — musical part
- Spanish: contralto — musical part
- Swedish: alt — musical part
- Ukrainian: альт (alʹt) — musical part
- Armenian: ալտ (alt) — person or instrument
- Bulgarian: алт (alt) — person or instrument
- Czech: alt — person or instrument
- Dutch: alt — person or instrument
- Finnish: altto — person or instrument
- German: Alt — person or instrument
- Hawaiian: leo wahine — person or instrument
- Hawaiian: ʻaeko — person or instrument
- Italian: contralto — person or instrument
- Japanese: アルト (aruto) — person or instrument
- Korean: 알토 (alto) — person or instrument
- Māori: kaiwaiata pekerangi — person or instrument
- Polish: alt — person or instrument
- Polish: alcista — person or instrument
- Polish: alcistka — person or instrument
- Polish: altysta — person or instrument
- Polish: altystka — person or instrument
- Portuguese: contralto — person or instrument
- Russian: альт (alʹt) — person or instrument
- Swedish: alt — person or instrument
- Vietnamese: người hát giọng nữ trầm — person or instrument
- Vietnamese: đàn antô — person or instrument
- Vietnamese: kèn antô — person or instrument