hand organ
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hand organ
An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800
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.
Another time he appeared in Chester town square, bishop's gaiters & all, grinding a hand organ to help raise money for the Royal Infirmary.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Well, what in the world are you making now?" asked Mr. Kinkytail of his little boy Jumpo one morning, just as the papa monkey was starting to work in the hand organ factory.
From Jacko and Jumpo Kinkytail The Funny Monkey Boys by Garis, Howard R.
It carromed into corner number two, smashing one perfectly good hand organ, freeing an excited monkey, and drawing forth a volley of lurid words from the Italian.
From Owen Clancy's Happy Trail or, The Motor Wizard in California by Standish, Burt L.
Oh! a splendid voice; when she speaks, you'd think it was a hand organ.
From San-Cravate; or, The Messengers; Little Streams by Kock, Charles Paul de
Not so many years ago he would prefer a red glass ball to the Kohinoor and a hand organ with a monkey to a piano with Paderewski.
From The Circus, and Other Essays and Fugitive Pieces by Kilmer, Joyce
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.
