hurdy-gurdy Hear it!

hurdy-gurdy Definition

hurdy-gurdy (hʉrdē gʉr)

noun pl. -·gurdies

  1. an early instrument shaped like a lute or viol but played by turning a crank attached to a rosined wheel that causes the strings to vibrate
  2. popularly a barrel organ

Etymology: prob. echoic

hurdy-gurdy Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • play: Jake plays hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer and guitar, they both sing and write their own original material.

Modifies a noun

  • player: The initial head of the hurdy-gurdy player has been painted over and replaced with a portrait, a very distinct likeness.
  • man: He was reared by his father, after his mother did a ' runner ' with a hurdy-gurdy man.

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