Definition

Noun: A small, rectangular, handheld wind instrument. It consists of a row of air holes, each leading to a free reed. Sound is produced by blowing or drawing air (inhaling) through the desired hole.

Examples of Usage

• He played a folk tune on his mouth organ.
• The blues musician always carried a mouth organ in his pocket.
• Learning the mouth organ is a popular introduction to playing music.

Advanced Usage

• "To blow a mouth organ": To play the instrument.
  • He could blow a mean mouth organ.
• "Chromatic mouth organ": A specific type of mouth organ that includes a button or slide to access all semitones, unlike a standard diatonic model.
  • For that jazz piece, you'll need a chromatic mouth organ.

Variants and Related Words

• Harmonica: The most common synonym for "mouth organ." The terms are often used interchangeably.
• Harp: (Informal) A common colloquial term for a harmonica, especially in blues and folk music contexts (e.g., "blues harp").
• French Harp: (Regional) Another informal term for the instrument, used in some parts of the United States.

Synonyms

• Harmonica
• Harp (informal)
• French harp (informal, regional)

Related Phrases

• Pocket organ: An informal term emphasizing the instrument's portability.
• Blues harp: Specifically denotes a diatonic harmonica used for playing blues music.

Noun

1. a small rectangular free-reed instrument having a row of free reeds set back in air holes and played by blowing into the desired hole