hurdy-gurdy

/'hə:di,gə:di/

Thân thiện

A musician plays a hurdy-gurdy in the town square.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A stringed musical instrument: A hurdy-gurdy is a mechanical string instrument. Sound is produced by turning a crank, which rotates a wooden wheel that rubs against the strings like a violin bow. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses small wedges (called tangents) against one or more melody strings to change their pitch. Other strings provide a continuous drone accompaniment.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The street musician played a lively folk tune on his hurdy-gurdy.
  • The unique, droning sound of the hurdy-gurdy is often associated with medieval and Renaissance music.

Advanced Usage

• Historical and Cultural Context: The hurdy-gurdy was popular in European medieval and Renaissance music and later became a folk instrument, particularly in French, Hungarian, and Spanish traditions. It should not be confused with the barrel organ, which is sometimes also called a hurdy-gurdy in casual speech.
  • In some regions, the hurdy-gurdy is a central instrument for traditional dance music.

Variants and Related Words

• Hurdy-gurdies (n): The standard plural form.
  • The museum's collection features several historical hurdy-gurdies.

Synonyms

• Wheel fiddle: A less common, more descriptive synonym that references the instrument's functioning wheel.
• Vielle à roue: The French name for the instrument.

Related Terms (Clarification)

• Barrel organ: A different, wind-driven mechanical instrument often heard in street settings. In informal usage, "hurdy-gurdy" is sometimes incorrectly applied to barrel organs, but they are distinct instruments.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a musical instrument that makes music by rotation of a cylinder studded with pegs

Từ đồng nghĩa

• barrel organ
• grind organ
• hand organ
• hurdy gurdy
• street organ