cel ‧ lo /ˈtʃeləʊ $ -loʊ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural cellos ) [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: violoncello 'cello' (18-21 centuries) , from Italian , from violone 'large stringed instrument' , from viola ; ⇨ ↑ viola ]
a musical instrument like a large ↑ violin that you hold between your knees and play by pulling a ↑ bow (=special stick) across the strings