a piece of music for one instrument or for one instrument and a piano, usually divided into three or four parts 奏鸣曲 Beethoven’s piano sonatas 贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲 a violin sonata 小提琴奏鸣曲
Word Originlate 17th cent.: Italian, literally ‘sounded’ (originally as distinct from ‘sung’), feminine past participle of sonare.