Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who plays the piano.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A performer on the pianoforte.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A performer, esp. a skilled performer, on the piano.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person who plays the piano, particularly with skill or as part of an orchestra.
  • noun WWII A spy using radio or wireless telegraphy to keep in touch with headquarters during the Second World War

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person who plays the piano

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French pianiste, from Italian pianista. Also pian(o) + -ist.

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Examples

  • Possibly related posts: (automatically generated) last week with my pianist .. who has been a waaaaaaay more than my pianist� …

    WordPress.com News 2008

  • A damp and cold New England morning seemed to be wreaking havoc on everyone's tuning — you know you're at an early-music concert when the pianist is pulling out a wrench to tune between movements.

    Archive 2009-06-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2009

  • Mr. Lindberg, a conservatory-trained pianist, is himself among the soloists, but his efforts are likely to be overshadowed by two of the Philharmonic's percussionists, Christopher Lamb and Daniel Druckman, whose arsenal of noise-making instruments will be augmented by various found objects, including sandpaper, stones and scrap metal.

    Lindberg Makes His Mark on the N.Y. Philharmonic David Mermelstein 2010

  • Two years ago, Glen Hansard, singer/guitarist for the Irish group The Frames, and Markéta Irglová, a teenaged classical pianist from the Czech Republic, starred in a small independent film about a busker (like Hansard himself) and an immigrant flower seller on the streets of Dublin.

    Swell Season on Boing Boing Video Boing Boing 2009

  • Two years ago, Glen Hansard, singer/guitarist for the Irish group The Frames, and Markéta Irglová, a teenaged classical pianist from the Czech Republic, starred in a small independent film about a busker (like Hansard himself) and an immigrant flower seller on the ...

    Swell Season on Boing Boing Video Boing Boing 2009

  • A damp and cold New England morning seemed to be wreaking havoc on everyone's tuning — you know you're at an early-music concert when the pianist is pulling out a wrench to tune between movements.

    Authentication keys Matthew Guerrieri 2009

  • WHRB 95.3 FM has a tribute today to the late Hank Jones, a great pianist from a great jazz family, who died few days ago.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Good jazz, free 2010

  • The Russian-born pianist is accompanying his talented students from the University's performing arts program.

    Colima: City of the Palms 2007

  • EE: While we all know you're an accomplished pianist, is it true you listen to Handel whilst you write?

    ON THE BUBBLE WITH ALEXANDRA SOKOLOFF 2007

  • The Russian-born pianist is accompanying his talented students from the University's performing arts program.

    Colima: City of the Palms 2007

Comments

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  • This word requires special attention to proper pronunciation, especially in mixed company!

    June 28, 2007

  • It's badly pronounced in Australia. I know what kind of instrument to associate with a pi-an-ist. But what does a peen-is(t) play? Is it some kind of organ?

    November 28, 2007

  • Which careful pronunciation and frequent mis-hearing reminds me of the joke show on "30 Rock": "The Rural Juror."

    November 28, 2007

  • Yakko, Wakko and Dot washed Beethoven's mouth out with soap when he said he was a pianist.

    September 21, 2008

  • And whoever said rude humour wasn't allowed on this site. :P

    November 9, 2008

  • Regional variations – I have come across all of these in my neck of the woods:

    P-YANno as in nano-second

    P-YANnist as in cannister

    PYEERnist drop the American r

    PYAHno closest the Aussies get to the Italian pronunciation, unfortunately it's guaranteed to make one sound posh and pretentious, as would…

    PYAHnist

    The Shorter Oxford makes an interesting distinction in pronunciation based on definition/usage:

    piano, as in the musical term meaning soft, is pronounced /'pjɑ�?nəʊ/ , i.e. close to the Italian

    But piano as in the musical instrument (piano-forte) is pronounced /pɪ'anəʊ/, with the stress moved and the change of vowels.

    Pianist is officially /'pɪənɪst/

    November 9, 2008

  • Every pianist should invest in a chirogymnast.

    February 18, 2009