accordion
UK/ә'kɒ:djәn/US
TOEFLB1
Definitions
n.
A portable musical instrument played by squeezing a bellows and pressing keys or buttons.
手风琴
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedaccordto, toward
+
-ionheart
=accordion
Built from accord (harmony, agreement). The accordion was named for the chords it plays 'in accord' — in harmony. The whole instrument is, at heart, a machine for producing hearts-in-agreement sounds.
Why It Means This
A nice hidden member of the cor family: the name comes from German Akkordion, from the Italian/French word for chord/accord. So an accordion is literally the 'harmony instrument' — even though most people never connect it to record or discord.
Example Sentences
- 1.
An old man played the accordion on the street corner.
- 2.
The folder expands like an accordion to hold more papers.