accordion

American  

[uh-kawr-dee-uhn] / əˈkɔr di ən /

noun

Music.

1. Also called piano accordion.  a portable wind instrument having a large bellows for forcing air through small metal reeds, a keyboard for the right hand, and buttons for sounding single bass notes or chords for the left hand.

2. a similar instrument having single-note buttons instead of a keyboard.

---

adjective

1. having a fold or folds like the bellows of an accordion.

   accordion roof; accordion panel.

verb (used without object)

1. (of a door, roof, or other covering) to open by folding back or pressing together in the manner of an accordion.

   The roof of the car accordions to let in sunlight and fresh air.

2. to fold, crush together, or collapse in the manner of an accordion.

verb (used with object)

1. to demolish by crushing together lengthwise.

   The impact accordioned the car beneath the truck.

accordion British  

/ əˈkɔːdɪən /

noun

1. a portable box-shaped instrument of the reed organ family, consisting of metallic reeds that are made to vibrate by air from a set of bellows controlled by the player's hands. Notes are produced by means of studlike keys

2. short for piano accordion

---

Other Word Forms

• accordionist noun

Etymology

Origin of accordion

1831; < German, now spelling Akkordion, Akkordeon name under which the instrument was patented in Vienna in 1829; probably < French accord ( er ) or Italian accord ( are ) to harmonize ( accord ) + French -ion -ion, as in German Orchestrion orchestrion

Example Sentences

Tap in a few text descriptors—male blues vocal, 80s synth pop with dark romance, death metal with accordion—and out comes an AI produced song within a matter of minutes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The dynamic singer delivered every lyric with his whole body as he frenetically tapped the buttons of his brightly colored accordion, doing his best to make the squeezebox sound like an electric guitar.

From Los Angeles Times

The company also closed a revolving credit facility of up to $200 million, with an additional accordion option of up to $50 million.

From Barron's

“Some people want to come and play their accordion. Another is a tour guide,” Mero says.

From Los Angeles Times

It's like a wing with a flexible, corrugated structure within it – something like an accordion – that allows said wing to fold down quickly, or flex with ease.

From BBC