hurdy-gurdy
/'hə:di,gə:di/
Definition
- 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.
Noun
-
a musical instrument that makes music by rotation of a cylinder studded with pegs
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