barrel organ

noun

1. a musical instrument in which air from a bellows is admitted to a set of pipes by means of pins inserted into a revolving barrel; hand organ.

barrel organ

noun

1. an instrument consisting of a cylinder turned by a handle and having pins on it that interrupt the air flow to certain pipes, thereby playing any of a number of tunes See also hurdy-gurdy

2. a similar instrument in which the projections on a rotating barrel pluck a set of strings

Word History and Origins

Origin of barrel organ¹

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Wise had picked up two or three CDs of sea shanties, along with an album of barrel organ tunes, for inspiration.

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But after a month of cast illnesses and walkouts, and faulty sets and props — the barrel organ used for “Mack the Knife,” malfunctioned on opening night — the show opened, and was an immediate hit.

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"The old barrel organ started the song about Russian doping again," it added.

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The highlight package includes a “Phantom” prop: A music box in the shape of a barrel organ with the figure of a monkey playing the cymbals attached.

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“I work because I need to pay rent,” said Nadia Iglesias, who plays a barrel organ near the city center.

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