PIANOFORTE Meaning of PIANOFORTE in English [ pɪˌanəʊ'fɔ:teɪ , -'fɔ:ti ]■ noun formal term for piano 1 .OriginC18: from Ital., earlier piano e forte 'soft and loud', expressing the gradation in tone. Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004