squeeze box
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A squeeze box is a portable, box-shaped musical instrument. It is a type of free-reed instrument where sound is produced by air causing reeds to vibrate. The air is supplied and controlled by a bellows that the player expands and compresses, often by squeezing it between the hands.
Usage
The term "squeeze box" is a common, informal name for a family of instruments, most notably the accordion and the concertina. It is often used in folk and traditional music contexts. - The sailor played a lively tune on his squeeze box. - At the folk festival, you could hear the distinctive sound of a squeeze box.
Advanced Usage
- As a generic term: "Squeeze box" can be used to refer to any hand-held bellows-driven free-reed instrument, especially when the specific type (e.g., piano accordion, button accordion, concertina) is not specified or is unimportant to the context.
- The band's sound is built around the guitar and the squeeze box.
Variants and Related Words
- Accordion (n): A specific, common type of squeeze box with a keyboard or buttons on one side for playing melodies and buttons on the other for chords.
- Concertina (n): A smaller, hexagonal or rectangular type of squeeze box where buttons on both ends produce notes when the bellows are pushed or pulled.
- Melodeon (n): A type of diatonic button accordion, often considered a specific kind of squeeze box.
Synonyms
- Accordion (when referring to that specific type)
- Box (a very informal shortening, e.g., "He plays the box.")
- Wind box (less common)
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Pull out the squeeze box: To bring out the instrument to play, often for an impromptu musical session.
- After dinner, Grandpa pulled out the squeeze box and we all sang.
Noun
- a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; the reeds are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player