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vibrafono

vibraphone

noun vee-BRAH-foh-noh Rare

Origin: Compound of vibra- (vibrate) + -fono (sound); invented in the 1920s.

Usage Note

Vibrafono is the Italian name for the vibraphone, a pitched percussion instrument with metal bars and motor-driven resonators that produce a characteristic vibrato. The player is il/la vibrafonista. It is a specialized musical term, mostly encountered in jazz and contemporary classical music contexts.

Examples

"Il vibrafono dà un suono morbido al jazz."

Natural Translation

The vibraphone gives jazz a soft sound.

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