  the violoncello, abbreviated as cello ( ; plural cellos or celli), is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. it is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola and double bass. the cello is used as a solo musical instrument, as well as in chamber music ensembles, string orchestras, and as a member of the string section of symphony orchestras. it is the second-largest bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, the double bass being the largest. cellos were derived from other mid- to large-sized bowed instruments in the 16th century, such as the viola da gamba, and the generally smaller and squarer viola da braccio, and such instruments made by members of the amati family of luthiers. the invention of wire-wrapped strings in bologna gave the cello greater versatility. by the 18th century, the cello had largely replaced other mid-sized bowed instruments. a person who plays the cello is called a cellist. ==etymology== the name cello is a contraction of the italian violoncello, which means "little violone". the violone ("big viol") was the lowest-pitched instrument of the viol family, the group of stringed instruments that went out of fashion around the end of the 17th century in most countries except france, where they survived another half-century before the louder violin family came into greater favour in that country as well. in modern symphony orchestras, it is the second largest stringed instrument (the double bass is the largest). thus, the name "violoncello" contained both the augmentative "-one" ("big") and the diminutive "-cello" ("little"). by the turn of the 20th century, it had become customary to shorten the name to 'cello, with the apostrophe indicating the missing prefix.delbanco, nicholas. (january 1, 2001) [[h
C_instruments Cellos Occupations_in_music String_instruments