harmonica

[hahr-mon-i-kuh]

noun

1. Also called mouth organ. a musical wind instrument consisting of a small rectangular case containing a set of metal reeds connected to a row of holes, over which the player places the mouth and exhales and inhales to produce the tones.

2. any of various percussion instruments that use graduated bars of metal or other hard material as sounding elements.

harmonica

/ hɑːˈmɒnɪkə /

noun

1. Also called: mouth organ. a small wind instrument of the reed organ family in which reeds of graduated lengths set into a metal plate enclosed in a narrow oblong box are made to vibrate by blowing and sucking

2. See glass harmonica

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmonica¹

Noun use of feminine of Latin harmonicus harmonic; in the form armonica (< Italian < Latin ) applied by Benjamin Franklin in 1762 to a set of musical glasses; later used of other instruments

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmonica¹

C18: from Latin harmonicus relating to _harmony

Example Sentences

He’s there to have one of his own tattoos, the image of a harmonica with wings, cleaned up.

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White learned to play harmonica and guitar and to sing for the film, even working with a movement coach to inhabit Springsteen’s physicality.

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The ballad “Night Game” features Mr. Simon’s layered vocal supported by the melancholy jazz harmonica of Toots Thielemans.

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“Nebraska” is a minimalist tableau of sin, a chilling void punctuated with coyote yelps and lonely harmonica solos.

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I go, “Here’s a picture of me with my harmonica teacher.”

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Related Words

• harp