concertina

American  

[kon-ser-tee-nuh] / ˌkɒn sərˈti nə /

noun

1. a musical instrument resembling an accordion but having buttonlike keys, hexagonal bellows and ends, and a more limited range.

2. concertina wire.

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verb (used without object)

concertinaed, concertinaing

1. to fold, crush together, or collapse in the manner of a concertina.

   The car concertinaed when it hit the truck.

verb (used with object)

concertinaed, concertinaing

1. to cause to fold or collapse in the manner of a concertina.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a concertina.

   concertina pleats.

concertina British  

/ ˌkɒnsəˈtiːnə /

noun

1. a small hexagonal musical instrument of the reed organ family in which metallic reeds are vibrated by air from a set of bellows operated by the player's hands. Notes are produced by pressing buttons

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verb

1. (intr) to collapse or fold up like a concertina

Other Word Forms

• concertinist noun

Etymology

Origin of concertina

Apparently coined by the original instrument's inventor, English instrument-maker Charles Wheatstone (1802–75), who patented it in 1829; concertino, seraphina a similar instrument

Example Sentences

Around a corner, the border came into full view — a metal turnstile with layers of concertina wire above it.

From Los Angeles Times

Most agreed with him that it was a racing incident, the sort of thing that can happen at this first corner, with its wide, uphill entry which inevitably leads to a concertina effect mid-turn.

From BBC

The concertina wire used to barricade the road has been moved to one side and local people and flocks of sheep can be seen making their way down.

From BBC

A gate in the barrier opened and Border Patrol, Marines and Army officials showed reporters how both fences were now sheathed in concertina wire.

From Los Angeles Times

May’s next film, “The Heartbreak Kid,” adapted from a Neil Simon hit and co-starring her daughter Jeannie Berlin, is a beautifully calibrated and funny social critique wrapped in concertina wire.

From Los Angeles Times