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ocarina

[ ok-uh-ree-nuh ]
/ ˌɒk əˈri nə /

noun

a simple musical wind instrument shaped somewhat like an elongated egg with a mouthpiece and finger holes.

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Also called sweet potato.

Origin of ocarina

First recorded in 1875–80; from Italian, originally dialect (Emilia), diminutive of oca “goose” (from Late Latin auca, contraction of unattestedavica, derivative of Latin avis “bird”), so called from the instrument's shape; apparently the name given to it by Giuseppe Donati (1876–1925) of Budrio, near Bologna, who popularized a ceramic version c1860

OTHER WORDS FROM ocarina

oc·a·ri·nist, noun

Words nearby ocarina

oca, Ocala, OCAM, O Canada, “O Captain, My Captain”, ocarina, O'Casey, occ., Occam, Occam's razor, occas.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ocarina

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, considered by some to be the best game of all time, was remade for the 3DS in 2011.

    Video Games Go Wild for Reboots|Alec Kubas-Meyer|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • The neighbouring forest was soon echoing the strident notes of xylophone, banjo, ocarina and trombone.

    Indo-China and Its Primitive People|Henry Baudesson

  • Im a-goin south from here to give a Chinese lady a lesson on the ocarina.

    Dust of the Desert|Robert Welles Ritchie

  • Ma'am, if you never do, at least remember that the flute was an ocarina.

    The Dop Doctor|Clotilde Inez Mary Graves

British Dictionary definitions for ocarina

ocarina
/ (ˌɒkəˈriːnə) /

noun

an egg-shaped wind instrument with a protruding mouthpiece and six to eight finger holes, producing an almost pure toneAlso called (US informal): sweet potato

Word Origin for ocarina

C19: from Italian: little goose, from oca goose, ultimately from Latin avis bird
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012