String instruments played with a bow, producing high-pitched tones and commonly used in orchestras and classical music.
From Italian 'violino,' a diminutive of 'viola,' derived from Latin 'vitula' (stringed instrument). The modern violin developed in Italy during the Renaissance from earlier medieval string instruments.
The violin was perfected in Renaissance Italy, and the best violins ever made—Stradivarius instruments—are now worth millions of dollars. Scientists still can't figure out exactly what makes them sound better than modern violins made with identical specifications.
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