har·mon·i·ca

(här-mŏn′ĭ-kə)

n. Music

1. A small rectangular instrument consisting of a row of free reeds set back in air holes, played by exhaling or inhaling. Also called mouth harp, mouth organ; also called regionally French harp.

2. A glass harmonica.

3. An instrument consisting of tuned strips of metal or glass fixed to a frame and struck with a hammer.

[Alteration of obsolete armonica, glass harmonica, from Italian, feminine of armonico, harmonious, from Latin harmonicus, harmonic; see harmonic.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

harmonica

(hɑːˈmɒnɪkə)

1. (Instruments) Also called: mouth organ a small wind instrument of the reed organ family in which reeds of graduated lengths set into a metal plate enclosed in a narrow oblong box are made to vibrate by blowing and sucking

2. (Instruments) See glass harmonica

[C18: from Latin harmonicus relating to harmony]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

har•mon•i•ca

(hɑrˈmɒn ɪ kə)

n., pl. -cas.

a musical wind instrument consisting of a small rectangular case containing a set of metal reeds connected to a row of holes, over which the player places the mouth and exhales and inhales to produce the tones.

Also called mouth organ.

[1775–85; n. use of feminine of Latin harmonicus harmonic]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

harmonica - 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

mouth harp, mouth organ, harp

free-reed instrument - a wind instrument with a free reed

Translations

آلَةُ الْهِرْمُونِيكَا الْمُوسِيقِيةُهارمونيكا

harmonikafoukací harmonika

mundharmonika

MundharmonikaGlasharmonika

φυσαρμόνικα αρμόνικα

armónica

huuliharppu

harmonica

usna harmonika

munnharpa

armonica armonica a bocca

ハーモニカ

하모니카

lūpinė armonikėlė

harmonika

mondharmonica

munnspill harmonika munnharmonika

harmonijka ustna

gaita-de-beiços gaita-de-boca

губная гармоника

harmonika

munspel

หีบเพลงปาก

ağız mızıkasıarmonika

kèn harmonica

口琴

harmonica

[hɑːˈmɒnɪkə] N → armónica f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

harmonica

[hɑː^rˈmɒnɪkə] n → harmonica m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

harmonica

n → Harmonika f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

harmonica

[hɑːˈmɒnɪkə] n → armonica a bocca

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

harmonica

(haːˈmonikə) noun

a kind of small musical instrument played with the mouth.

harmonica

→ آلَةُ الْهِرْمُونِيكَا الْمُوسِيقِيةُ foukací harmonika mundharmonika Mundharmonika φυσαρμόνικα armónica huuliharppu harmonica usna harmonika armonica ハーモニカ 하모니카 mondharmonica munnspill harmonijka ustna gaita-de-beiços, gaita-de-boca губная гармоника munspel หีบเพลงปาก armonika kèn harmonica 口琴

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

He ran into the storeroom and brought out a gaudily painted harmonica, sat down on a bench, and spreading his fat legs apart began to play like a whole band.

View in context

He resurrected the harmonica with which it was his wont, ashore in public-houses, to while away the time between bottles.

View in context

And I met others, including the Vigy brothers, who ran the place, and, chiefest of all, Joe Goose, with the wicked eyes, the twisted nose, and the flowered vest, who played the harmonica like a roystering angel and went on the most atrocious tears that even the Oakland water-front could conceive of and admire.

View in context

He was wholly absorbed in the making of a nondescript machine, a sort of crude harmonica with a clock-spring reed, a magnet, and a wire.

View in context

Harmonica approaches mobile matchmaking with respect for local traditions and cultures.

Match Group acquires matchmacking Harmonica app

LBS Foundation gave RM20,000 to Catholic High School here for their 'Memory Shards' harmonica and guitar concert which was held recently.

LBS Foundation sponsors Catholic High School's fund-raising concert

2 Chronicles 6:13-14 NLT When my husband plays the harmonica for our church praise team, I have noticed that he sometimes closes his eyes when he plays a song.

Postures of the heart

"I am a harmonica player," DuPre, who spent three years stationed in England as a U.S.

'Goosebumps and tears': A WWII veteran's harmonica rendition of anthem makes him a viral star

It was there that his mother gave him a harmonica as a present - sparking a life-long love of the instrument which gave him his first taste of fame.

The former Rhondda bus conductor who became a multi-millionaire after discovering Tom Jones; Gordon Mills even had a private zoo at his house

It was there that his mother gave him a harmonica as a present, sparking a lifelong love of the instrument which gave him his first taste of fame.

Bus conductor made his fortune by bringing Tom Jones to fame - and turned down Elvis

The winners of international competition Tahir Amrahov (tar), Nasiba Mirzayeva (canon), Mahir Hajiyev (kamancha), Maryam Mammadova (canon ), Abbas Aliyev (kamancha), Togrul Mammadov (vocal), Eta Etminan (piano), Rahim Aliyev (kamancha), Alipasha Shahgeldiyev (trumpet), Sabir Agayev (khanende), Shamil Radjabov (harmonica), Farid Nagiyev (harmonica ), Zerintaj Gurbanzade (kamancha) will perform works by Azerbaijani and foreign composers.

Young talents to gather at Philharmonic Hall

There are few who can say they performed harmonica duels onstage with Stevie Wonder.

Prince's harmonica player Frederic Yonnet in Dubai