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swell box

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noun
  1. a chamber containing a set of pipes in a pipe organ or of reeds in a reed organ, and having movable slats or shutters that can be opened or closed to increase or diminish tonal volume.
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Origin of swell box

First recorded in 1795–1805
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for swell box

Historical Examples

  • The swell-box is made in three thicknesses, each of one inch.

    Bell's Cathedrals: The Abbey Church of Tewkesbury

    H. J. L. J. Mass

  • Choir organ, of soft, mellow stops, often enclosed in a swell-box.

    How it Works

    Archibald Williams

  • Echo organ, of stops of small scale and very soft tone, enclosed in a "swell-box."

    How it Works

    Archibald Williams

  • The organist might leave his Swell-box shut or, by means of a catch on the pedal, hitch it full open.