harmonica
- a small wind instrument played with the mouth; mouth organ: it has a series of graduated metal reeds that vibrate and produce tones when air is blown or sucked across them
- glass harmonica
Origin of harmonica
L, feminine of harmonicus (see harmonic): name altered from earlier armonica ( from It, feminine of armonico, of same origin, originally ) by Benjamin Franklin, who developed this instrument from an earlier formharmonica
noun
Music- A small rectangular instrument consisting of a row of free reeds set back in air holes, played by exhaling or inhaling. Also called mouth harp . Also called mouth organ . Also called also called regionally French harp .
- A glass harmonica.
- An instrument consisting of tuned strips of metal or glass fixed to a frame and struck with a hammer.
Origin of harmonica
Alteration of obsolete armonica glass harmonica from Italian feminine of armonico harmonious from Latin harmonicus harmonic ; see harmonic .harmonica
Noun
(plural harmonicas)
- a musical wind instrument with a series of holes for the player to blow into, each hole producing a different note
- a musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones.
- a toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers.
