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Glite Dictionary
🎻 A violin mute 🎹 A soft organ stop
sourdine

sourdine

9.9
A small piece you put on a violin to make its sound softer
  • noun
  • /ˈsɔrdin/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sordina
  • The violinist placed a sourdine on her instrument to achieve a gentler tone.

Examples

  • He placed a sourdine on his violin before playing.

  • You can reduce your practicing volume at night by using a sourdine.

  • Please bring your sourdine to rehearsal for the quiet passages.

  • The sourdine helps create a softer sound.

  • The violinist placed a sourdine on her instrument to achieve a gentler tone.

  • You can reduce your practicing volume at night by using a sourdine.

  • Please bring your sourdine to rehearsal for the quiet passages.

Synonyms

mute
vssourdine
14 7.2

A small piece placed on a trumpet to make its sound quieter or different

is specific to softening violin sound rather than changing tone
sordino
vssourdine
  • Specialized
9.9

A small piece you put on the bridge of a violin to make the sound softer

is the general name for that kind of sound muffling device

Antonyms

amplifier
  • Specialized
30 3.4

A device that makes sound or radio signals louder

How Muted

sourdine
  • Specialized
9.9
mute
14 7.2

Surface Forms

sourdine singular
sourdines plural

Etymology

Sourdine comes from the French word sourd meaning 'deaf' and the ending -ine meaning 'small'. So it suggests a 'little deafener' that makes a sound duller, which is why a sourdine is a small mute used to soften a violin's sound.