music box

American  

noun

1. a box or case containing an apparatus for producing music mechanically, as by means of a comblike steel plate with tuned teeth sounded by small pegs or pins in the surface of a revolving cylinder or disk.

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music box British  

noun

1. a mechanical instrument that plays tunes by means of pins on a revolving cylinder striking the tuned teeth of a comblike metal plate, contained in a box

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Etymology

Origin of music box

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

The show opened with Rosalía portraying a music box ballerina, her movements restricted, with dancers required to carry her across the stage.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

The regular version is my favorite ride at Disneyland, and during the holidays it’s like riding through a giant, wintry music box.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

Aficionados will delight in minor details such as being close enough to touch the ghoulish monkey music box from the original, and being within breathing distance of the performers in these famous roles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

For decades, researchers considered mouse songs instinctual, the fixed tunes of a windup music box, rather than the mutable expressions of individual minds.

From New York Times • Sep. 20, 2023

Patria and Pedrito—a music box from Spain that plays four tunes.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez