harpsichord
A stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the…A stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
Recorded US: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
» Tom certainly plays the harpsichord well.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 sensesA stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
Spinett, Cembalo
клавеси́нklavesín
клавеси́нklavesýn
- a clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots
Examples
15 sentencesTom certainly plays the harpsichord well.
Tom knows how to play the harpsichord.
ruТом умеет играть на клавесине. — Wezel
Who did Tom sell his harpsichord to?
I really like the sound of a harpsichord.
I really like the sound of the harpsichord.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Early 1600s, borrowed from French harpechord (“harp string”), from New Latin harpichordiumEarly 1600s, borrowed from French harpechord (“harp string”), from New Latin harpichordium, from harpa (“harp”) + chorda (“string”). Influenced by and possibly also borrowed from Italian arpicordo, producing variant spellings. The unetymological -s-, which predominates by the 1660s, is of unclear origin.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: harpsichordsSynonyms
1 synonyms- a clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots:cembalo
Word family
6 related wordsSee also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.