Six-stringed instrument similar to a cello

VIOL

"Here’s a helpful hint for your crossword clue: "Renaissance-era relative of the violin, often played with a bow." This hint: - Narrows the focus to the Renaissance period (where the viol was prominent). - Mentions its relation to the violin (a more familiar instrument).

The clue "Six-stringed instrument similar to a cello" leads to the answer "VIOL" through the following reasoning: 1. Definition: A viol is a stringed musical instrument from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, often compared to the modern cello in size and shape. It typically has six strings, distinguishing it from the four-stringed cello. 2.