the treble instrument of the family of modern bowed instruments, held nearly horizontal by the player's arm with the lower part supported against the collarbone or shoulder.
1570-80; < Italianviolino, equivalent to viol(a) (see viola1) + -ino diminutive suffix
Examples from the web for violins
I wanted to bring in other musical styles, to bring in violins for instance.
British Dictionary definitions for violins
violin
/ˌvaɪəˈlɪn/
noun
1.
a bowed stringed instrument, the highest member of the violin family, consisting of a fingerboard, a hollow wooden body with waisted sides, and a sounding board connected to the back by means of a soundpost that also supports the bridge. It has two f-shaped sound holes cut in the belly. The instrument, noted for its fine and flexible tone, is the most important of the stringed instruments. It is held under the chin when played. Range: roughly three and a half octaves upwards from G below middle C
Word Origin
C16: from Italian violino a little viola, from viola1
Word Origin and History for violins
violin
n.
1570s, from Italian violino, diminutive of viola (see viola).
violins in Culture
violin definition
The most familiar and highest-pitched instrument of the strings. A typical symphonyorchestra has more than two dozen violinists.