bandoneon

American  

[ban-doh-nee-on] / bænˈdoʊ niˌɒn /

Or bandoneón

noun

1. a small, square concertina or accordion with buttons instead of a keyboard, used especially in Latin America for tango music.

---

bandoneon British  

/ bænˈdəʊnɪən /

noun

1. a type of square concertina, esp used in Argentina

---

Other Word Forms

• bandoneonist noun

Etymology

Origin of bandoneon

First recorded in 1930–35; from Spanish, from German Bandonion, Bandoneon, named after Heinrich Band (1821–1860), German inventor + alteration of German (Akkord)ion; see accordion ( def. )

Example Sentences

My abuelos, born and raised in Argentina, still spend their days in the company of the similarly sweet bandoneon, a fixture of the melancholic tangos of Aníbal Troilo and Carlos Gardel.

From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2021

They’ll be coalescing in impromptu combos and breaking out such accordion relatives as the bandoneon and the bayan.

From Washington Post • Jul. 11, 2018

Violin and bandoneon dominate the moody five-piece orchestra, creating a music of menace and dread.

From Washington Post • Jun. 11, 2015

But the music was played with the precision and passion of a first-rate classical chamber ensemble, with Mr. Villena’s bandoneon expressing extremes of earthiness and ethereality, an emotional universe unto itself.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2014

While no electronics are involved in Karpen’s “Elliptic,” they figure in the companion piece on the program: UW composer Juan Pampin’s “Respiración Artificial” for bandoneon player Mirta Wymerszberg, string quartet and electronics.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2014