clavichord

American  

[klav-i-kawrd] / ˈklæv ɪˌkɔrd /

noun

1. an early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.

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clavichord British  

/ ˈklævɪˌkɔːd /

noun

1. a keyboard instrument consisting of a number of thin wire strings struck from below by brass tangents. The instrument is noted for its delicate tones, since the tangents do not rebound from the string until the key is released

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Other Word Forms

• clavichordist noun

Etymology

Origin of clavichord

1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin clāvichordium, equivalent to Latin clāvi ( s ) key + chord ( a ) chord ² + -ium -ium

Compare meaning

How does clavichord compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• clavichord vs. harpsichord

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."

Example Sentences

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

Technological change is in fact the subject of your favorite page, the middle page of a rondo that Bach wrote in 1781 as a farewell to his long-serving clavichord.

From New York Times • Jan. 18, 2022

From the start, liquidity was a keyboard ideal, and an ocean of music evoking water has been written over the centuries for harpsichord, clavichord, fortepiano and modern grand.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2016

His love of the clavichord was evident in his "Secret" series: Secret Mozart, Secret Bach and Secret Handel.

From The Guardian • Sep. 24, 2014

During the boredom of her abandonment her only distractions were the clavichord lessons at siesta time and the letters from her children.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• grand piano
• instrument
• keyboard