celeste
- As an adjective, of a pale sky-blue color; as a noun, a keyboard instrument producing soft, bell-like tones via felt-covered hammers striking metal plates.
- The color celeste is associated with heavenly or sky-like pale blue.
In a sentence
- The nursery walls were painted a soft celeste that made the room feel open and airy.
- Tchaikovsky famously scored the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' for the celeste, giving it an ethereal, tinkling quality.
Usage note. When referring to the musical instrument, prefer the spelling 'celesta' (the Italianate form) in formal musical contexts, though 'celeste' is widely accepted.
Where it comes from
English celeste — “sky-blue; bell instrument” · entered English 19th c.
Derived from French 'céleste' and Italian 'celeste', both meaning 'heavenly' or 'sky-blue', from Latin 'caelestis' meaning 'of the sky or heaven', from 'caelum' meaning 'sky'. The musical instrument sense was coined in French in the late 19th century by its inventor Auguste Mustel. The word entered English in the 19th century.