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

1. a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; the reeds are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player