clavichord
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clavichord
1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin clāvichordium, equivalent to Latin clāvi ( s ) key + chord ( a ) chord 2 + -ium -ium
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Explanation
A clavichord is an old-fashioned instrument that looks like a small piano. You play a clavichord by pressing keys on a keyboard. A clavichord sounds similar to a piano but much softer—for this reason, these instruments were most often used to compose and practice music rather than to perform it. During the late medieval period through the early 19th century, the clavichord was very popular, especially in Germany and Scandinavia. The word clavichord combines the Latin clavis, "a key," and chorda, "a string."
Vocabulary lists containing clavichord
Musical Instruments - Middle School
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Musical Instruments - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Clavinet looks like an electric keyboard, but it is an electro-mechanical string instrument originally developed for the performance of classical harpsichord and clavichord music.
From Salon • Nov. 12, 2022
She finds new textures in her voice, and its acrobatics are less flashy and more delicate, against an intricate world conjured up out of harps, music boxes and the clavichord.
From The Guardian • Apr. 7, 2020
Rodney, the protagonist of “Early Music,” purchases an antiquated clavichord that will financially ruin his family.
From New York Times • Oct. 3, 2017
Newsom expanded her own instrumentation to include the clavichord, harpsichord and Mellotron.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2015
Three months later Aureliano Segundo and Fernanda took Meme to school and came back with a clavichord, which took the place of the pianola.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
