vir ‧ tu ‧ o ‧ so /ˌvɜːtʃuˈəʊsəʊ $ ˌvɜːrtʃuˈoʊsoʊ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural virtuosos ) [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Italian ; Origin: virtuoso 'virtuous, skilled' , from Latin virtus ; ⇨ ↑ virtue ]
someone who is a very skilful performer, especially in music:
violin virtuoso Vanessa Mae
—virtuoso adjective [only before noun] :
a virtuoso performance
a virtuoso pianist
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THESAURUS
▪ expert someone who has a lot of knowledge about something or skill at doing something:
a computer expert
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an expert on beetles
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It’s best to ask an expert.
▪ specialist an expert who has studied a particular medical or technical subject for a long time and knows much more about it than other people:
She is a specialist in corporate finance.
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My doctor sent me to see a heart specialist.
▪ authority an expert whose knowledge and opinions are greatly respected:
The professor is one of the world’s leading authorities on African art.
▪ connoisseur /ˌkɒnəˈsɜː $ ˌkɑːnəˈsɜːr/ an expert on food, art, literature, or design, who has had a lot of experience and knows when something is of very good quality:
He was a connoisseur of fine wines.
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His works are popular among connoisseurs.
▪ buff /bʌf/ informal someone who is very interested in a subject and knows a lot about it:
a wine buff
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Jazz buffs will be familiar with the band’s first album.
▪ virtuoso /ˌvɜːtʃuˈəʊsəʊ $ ˌvɜːrtʃuˈoʊsoʊ/ an expert player or performer:
The piece was played by violin virtuoso Pavel Sporcl.
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a virtuoso pianist