accordion
UK /əˈkɔː.diː.ən/ · US /əˈkoɹ.di.ən/ noun, verb
Forms accordions accordioning accordioned accordeon
- noun A box-shaped musical instrument played by compressing or expanding its bellows while pressing its buttons or its keys, causing pallets to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel (reeds).
- noun (graphical user interface) A vertical list of items that can be individually expanded and collapsed to reveal their contents.
- noun (figurative or attributive) Something, or set of things (concepts, etc), which can be expanded (or extended) and collapsed, like the musical instrument's pleated, folding bellows.
- verb (transitive, intransitive) To fold up, in the manner of an accordion
Synonyms
Etymology
First attested in 1831. Borrowed from German Akkordeon, from Akkord (“harmony”), from French accord, from Old French acorder, based on Italian accordare (“to tune”). See also accord.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A small, portable, keyed wind instrument, whose tones are generated by play of the wind upon free metallic reeds.
Etymology [See Accord.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “accordion”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details