mouth harp

noun

, South Midland and Southern U.S.

1. harmonica ( def 1 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of mouth harp¹

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

One man was reading a newspaper while another sat on an end of the table playing a mouth harp.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Sid put down his fiddle and his mouth harp and drawing from his coat pocket a crumpled paper, he began again.

From Project Gutenberg

While he was able to sit up he would play on his mouth harp or hack away at his window sills with his jackknife.

From Project Gutenberg

One of them has a mouth-harp which he plays upon, now and then opening his hands hollowed around the instrument.

From Project Gutenberg

Then another man followed with a similar instrument; and last came a youth with a mouth harp.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• harp