Crossword Genius

Little Italian with a high-pitched voice (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

piccolo

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'a high-pitched voice' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't see how they can define each other.

'little italian' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'little' could be 'l' (abbreviation for little) and 'l' is found in the answer.
'italian' could be 'i' (abbreviation for Italian) and 'i' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'with' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for piccolo that I've seen before include "Played, perhaps" , "Musical instrument - little (Italian)" , "High flute" , "producer of note" , "High wind instrument" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.