"contralto" meaning in English

See contralto in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/, /kɒnˈtɹɑːltəʊ/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-contralto.wav , LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-contralto.wav Forms: contraltos [plural], contralti [plural]
Rhymes: -æltəʊ, -ɑːltəʊ Etymology: Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus. Head templates: {{en-noun|s|contralti}} contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)
  1. (music) The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody. Wikipedia link: Contralto Categories (topical): Music, Musical voices and registers, Musicians, People Synonyms: alto Related terms: contratenor altus, alto, tenor Coordinate_terms (voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass [masculine] Translations (the lowest female voice): contralt [masculine] (Catalan), 女低音 (nǚdīyīn) (Chinese Mandarin), kontra-altto (Finnish), contralto [masculine] (French), კონტრალტო (ḳonṭralṭo) (Georgian), Kontraalt [masculine] (German), alt (Hungarian), contralto [masculine] (Italian), コントラルト (kontoraruto) (Japanese), reo taka (Maori), reo hakahaka (Maori), s'gonde [feminine] (Norman), contralto [masculine] (Portuguese), контра́льто (kontrálʹto) [indeclinable, neuter] (Russian), kontraalt [common-gender] (Swedish), giọng nữ trầm (Vietnamese)

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "contraltos",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "contralti",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s",
        "2": "contralti"
      },
      "expansion": "contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant script codes",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant transliterations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Georgian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norman translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Music",
          "orig": "en:Music",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Musical voices and registers",
          "orig": "en:Musical voices and registers",
          "parents": [
            "Music",
            "Singing",
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "Talking",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Musicians",
          "orig": "en:Musicians",
          "parents": [
            "Music",
            "Occupations",
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "People",
            "Work",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Human",
            "Human activity",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "All topics",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "word": "soprano"
        },
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "word": "mezzo-soprano"
        },
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "word": "countertenor"
        },
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "word": "tenor"
        },
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "word": "baritone"
        },
        {
          "sense": "voice types",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bass"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 68:",
          "text": "Out in the yard a womanʼs hoarse contralto intoned a hymn.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody."
      ],
      "id": "en-contralto-en-noun-aS24m763",
      "links": [
        [
          "music",
          "music"
        ],
        [
          "tenor",
          "tenor"
        ],
        [
          "mezzo-soprano",
          "mezzo-soprano"
        ],
        [
          "alto",
          "alto"
        ],
        [
          "counter-tenor",
          "counter-tenor"
        ],
        [
          "contratenor altus",
          "contratenor altus"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music) The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "contratenor altus"
        },
        {
          "word": "alto"
        },
        {
          "word": "tenor"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "alto"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "contralt"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "nǚdīyīn",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "女低音"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "kontra-altto"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "contralto"
        },
        {
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "ḳonṭralṭo",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "კონტრალტო"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Kontraalt"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "alt"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "contralto"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "kontoraruto",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "コントラルト"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "reo taka"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "reo hakahaka"
        },
        {
          "code": "nrf",
          "lang": "Norman",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "s'gonde"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "contralto"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "kontrálʹto",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "indeclinable",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "контра́льто"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "kontraalt"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "the lowest female voice",
          "word": "giọng nữ trầm"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Contralto"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɒnˈtɹɑːltəʊ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-contralto.wav",
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    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-contralto.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æltəʊ"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːltəʊ"
    }
  ],
  "word": "contralto"
}
{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "word": "soprano"
    },
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "word": "mezzo-soprano"
    },
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "word": "countertenor"
    },
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "word": "tenor"
    },
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "word": "baritone"
    },
    {
      "sense": "voice types",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bass"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "contraltos",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "contralti",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s",
        "2": "contralti"
      },
      "expansion": "contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "contratenor altus"
    },
    {
      "word": "alto"
    },
    {
      "word": "tenor"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English nouns with irregular plurals",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
        "Pages with 5 entries",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Rhymes:English/æltəʊ",
        "Rhymes:English/æltəʊ/3 syllables",
        "Rhymes:English/ɑːltəʊ",
        "Terms with Catalan translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with Georgian translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Japanese translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Maori translations",
        "Terms with Norman translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
        "en:Music",
        "en:Musical voices and registers",
        "en:Musicians",
        "en:People"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 68:",
          "text": "Out in the yard a womanʼs hoarse contralto intoned a hymn.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "music",
          "music"
        ],
        [
          "tenor",
          "tenor"
        ],
        [
          "mezzo-soprano",
          "mezzo-soprano"
        ],
        [
          "alto",
          "alto"
        ],
        [
          "counter-tenor",
          "counter-tenor"
        ],
        [
          "contratenor altus",
          "contratenor altus"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music) The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Contralto"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɒnˈtɹɑːltəʊ/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-contralto.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-contralto.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-contralto.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-contralto.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-contralto.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-contralto.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-contralto.wav.mp3",
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æltəʊ"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɑːltəʊ"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "alto"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "contralt"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "nǚdīyīn",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "女低音"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "kontra-altto"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "contralto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "ḳonṭralṭo",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "კონტრალტო"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Kontraalt"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "alt"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "contralto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "kontoraruto",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "コントラルト"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "reo taka"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "reo hakahaka"
    },
    {
      "code": "nrf",
      "lang": "Norman",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "s'gonde"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "contralto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "kontrálʹto",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "indeclinable",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "контра́льто"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "kontraalt"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "the lowest female voice",
      "word": "giọng nữ trầm"
    }
  ],
  "word": "contralto"
}

Download raw JSONL data for contralto meaning in English (5.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.