harpsichord
Use Harpsichord in a sentence
sɪˌkɔrd noun
a keyboard instrument, precursor of the piano, in which the strings are plucked by leather or quill points connected with the keys, in common use from the 16th to the 18th century, and revived in the 20th.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To harpsichord
Collins
World English Dictionary
harpsichord (ˈhɑːpsɪˌkɔːd) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a horizontally strung stringed keyboard instrument, triangular in shape, consisting usually of two manuals controlling various sets of strings plucked by pivoted plectrums mounted on jacks. Some harpsichords have a pedal keyboard and stops by which the tone colour may be varied | |
| [C17: from New Latin harpichordium, from Late Latin harpa | |
| 'harpsichordist | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Harpsichord
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
harpsichord
1611, from Fr. harpechorde "harp string," from Mod.L. harpichordium, from harpa (see harp) + chorda "string." The -s- is unexplained.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
harpsichord definition
A stringed keyboard instrument much used in the baroque era in music. The keys of a harpsichord move small devices that pluck the strings; the strings are not struck with hammers, as in a piano. Thus, although harpsichords often look much like pianos, their characteristic tinkly sound is unlike that of the piano, and a harpsichordist cannot change the volume of the sound by striking the keys harder, as a pianist can.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
In addition, he plays the harpsichord for relaxation.
He approached his harpsichord with the air of a mortician, slightly flexing his long, delicate hands.
Hopkinson appears to have begun his formal musical training, in the form of harpsichord lessons, at age seventeen.
Vivid sound, which sharply etches the harpsichord part, completes the package.
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