in·stru·ment ( n str -mnt)n. 1. A means by which something is done; an agency. 2. One used by another to accomplish a purpose; a dupe. 3. An implement used to facilitate work. See Synonyms at tool. 4. A device for recording, measuring, or controlling, especially such a device functioning as part of a control system. 5. Music A device for playing or producing music: a keyboard instrument. 6. A legal document, such as a deed, will, mortgage, or insurance policy. tr.v. (-m  nt ) in·stru·ment·ed, in·stru·ment·ing, in·stru·ments 1. To provide or equip with instruments. 2. Music To compose or arrange for performance. 3. To address a legal document to. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin  nstr mentum, tool, implement, from nstruere, to prepare; see instruct.] |   variety of medical instruments |
instrument
n [ˈɪnstrəmənt]
1. a mechanical implement or tool, esp one used for precision work surgical instrument
2. (Music / Instruments) Music any of various contrivances or mechanisms that can be played to produce musical tones or sounds
3. an important factor or agency in something her evidence was an instrument in his arrest
4. Informal a person used by another to gain an end; dupe; tool
5. (Physics / General Physics) a measuring device, such as a pressure gauge or ammeter
6. (Engineering / Aeronautics)
a. a device or system for use in navigation or control, esp of aircraft
b. (as modifier) instrument landing
7. (Law) a formal legal document
vb [ˈɪnstrəˌmɛnt] (tr)
1. (Music / Classical Music) another word for orchestrate [1]
2. to equip with instruments
[from Latin instrūmentum tool, equipment, from instruere to erect, furnish; see instruct]
in•stru•ment (ˈɪn strə mənt)
n.
1. a mechanical tool or implement, esp. one used for delicate or precision work: surgical instruments.
2. a device for producing musical sounds.
3. a means by which something is effected or done; agency: an instrument of government.
4. a device for measuring the present value of a quantity under observation.
5. a mechanical or electronic device for monitoring, measuring, or controlling, esp. one used in navigation of aircraft.
6. a formal legal document, as a draft or bond: negotiable instruments.
7. a person used by another as a means to some private end; tool.
v.t. 8. to equip with instruments.
9. to arrange (a composition) for musical instruments; orchestrate.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Latin instrūmentum equipment, derivative of instruere to equip; see instruct]
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  instrument - a device that requires skill for proper usecauterant, cautery - an instrument or substance used to destroy tissue for medical reasons (eg removal of a wart) by burning it with a hot iron or an electric current or a caustic or by freezing it device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" drafting instrument - an instrument used by a draftsman in making drawings engine - an instrument or machine that is used in warfare, such as a battering ram, catapult, artillery piece, etc.; "medieval engines of war" extractor - an instrument for extracting tight-fitting components instrument of execution - an instrument designed and used to take the life of a condemned person instrument of punishment - an instrument designed and used to punish a condemned person measuring device, measuring instrument, measuring system - instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something medical instrument - instrument used in the practice of medicine navigational instrument - an instrument used for navigating optical instrument - an instrument designed to aid vision plotter - an instrument (usually driven by a computer) for drawing graphs or pictures scientific instrument - an instrument used by scientists sonograph - an instrument that uses the differential transmission and reflection of ultrasonic waves in order to provide an image of a bodily organ surveying instrument, surveyor's instrument - an instrument used by surveyors tracer - an instrument used to make tracings weapon, weapon system, arm - any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting; "he was licensed to carry a weapon" whip - an instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping |
| 2. |  instrument - the means whereby some act is accomplished; "my greed was the instrument of my destruction"; "science has given us new tools to fight disease" | |
| 3. | instrument - a person used by another to gain an end | |
| 4. |  instrument - (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some rightdocument, papers, written document - writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature) articles of incorporation - a legal document that creates a corporation; it is filed with a state by the founders of a corporation and is governed by the laws of the state derivative instrument, derivative - a financial instrument whose value is based on another security negotiable instrument - an unconditional order or promise to pay an amount of money passport - a document issued by a country to a citizen allowing that person to travel abroad and re-enter the home country ship's papers - official papers which a ship is legally required to have; related to ownership, cargo, etc. manifest - a customs document listing the contents put on a ship or plane debenture - a certificate or voucher acknowledging a debt power of attorney - a legal instrument authorizing someone to act as the grantor's agent letters of administration - legal document naming someone to administer an estate when no executor has been named letters testamentary - a legal document from a probate court or court officer informing you of your appointment as executor of a will and empowering you to discharge those responsibilities work papers, work permit, working papers - a legal document giving information required for employment of certain people in certain countries act, enactment - a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body law - legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping" brief, legal brief - a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case testament, will - a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die living will - a document written by someone still legally capable requesting that he should be allowed to die if subsequently severely disabled or suffering terminal illness; "after he discovered he had AIDS he drew up a living will" deed, deed of conveyance, title - a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it; "he signed the deed"; "he kept the title to his car in the glove compartment" assignment - the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another deed of trust, trust deed - a written instrument legally conveying property to a trustee often used to secure an obligation such as a mortgage or promissory note conveyance - document effecting a property transfer income tax return, return, tax return - document giving the tax collector information about the taxpayer's tax liability; "his gross income was enough that he had to file a tax return" letters patent, patent - an official document granting a right or privilege judgement, legal opinion, opinion, judgment - the legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision; "opinions are usually written by a single judge" acquittance, release - a legal document evidencing the discharge of a debt or obligation judicial writ, writ - (law) a legal document issued by a court or judicial officer affidavit - written declaration made under oath; a written statement sworn to be true before someone legally authorized to administer an oath written agreement - a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties bill of indictment, indictment - a formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense impeachment - a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office arraignment - a legal document calling someone to court to answer an indictment law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" | |
| 5. | instrument - the semantic role of the entity (usually inanimate) that the agent uses to perform an action or start a process participant role, semantic role - (linguistics) the underlying relation that a constituent has with the main verb in a clause | |
| 6. |  instrument - any of various devices or contrivances that can be used to produce musical tones or soundsbarrel organ, grind organ, hand organ, hurdy gurdy, hurdy-gurdy, street organ - a musical instrument that makes music by rotation of a cylinder studded with pegs bass - the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments steam organ, calliope - a musical instrument consisting of a series of steam whistles played from a keyboard device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" electronic instrument, electronic musical instrument - a musical instrument that generates sounds electronically jew's harp, jews' harp, mouth bow - a small lyre-shaped musical instrument that is placed between the teeth and played by twanging a wire tongue while changing the shape of the mouth cavity keyboard instrument - a musical instrument that is played by means of a keyboard music box, musical box - produces music by means of pins on a revolving cylinder that strike the tuned teeth of a comb-like metal plate percussion instrument, percussive instrument - a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another stringed instrument - a musical instrument in which taut strings provide the source of sound wind instrument, wind - a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath | |
| Verb | 1. | instrument - equip with instruments for measuring, recording, or controlling |
| 2. | instrument - write an instrumental score for | |
| 3. | instrument - address a legal document to |
instrument
noun
1. tool, device, implement, mechanism, appliance, apparatus, gadget, utensil, contraption (informal), contrivance, waldo a thin tube-like optical instrument
3. agent, means, force, cause, medium, agency, factor, channel, vehicle, mechanism, organ The veto is a traditional instrument for diplomacy.
4. (Informal) puppet, tool, pawn, toy, creature, dupe, stooge (slang), plaything, cat's-paw The Council was an instrument of Government. see instruments in a full orchestra
accordion, aeolian harp, alphorn or alpenhorn, althorn, Autoharp (trademark), baby grand, Bach trumpet, bagpipes, balalaika, bandore, banjo, barrel organ, baryton, bass drum, basset horn, bass guitar, bassoon, bass viol, bell, bodhrán, Böhm flute, bombardon, bongo, boudoir grand, bouzouki, bugle, calliope, carillon, castanets, celesta or celeste, cello or violoncello, cembalo, chamber organ, Chapman stick (trademark), chime, Chinese block, chitarrone, cimbalon or cymbalon, cithara or kithara, cittern, cither or cithern, clarinet, clarion, clarsach, clave, clavicembalo, clavichord, clavier, concert grand, concertina, conga, contrabass, contrabassoon, cor anglais, cornet, cornett, cottage piano, cowbell, crumhorn or krummhorn, crwth, cymbal, cymbalo, didgeridoo, Dobro (trademark), double bass, double bassoon, drum, drum machine, dulcimer, electric guitar, electronic organ, English horn, euphonium, fiddle, fife, flageolet, flugelhorn, flute, French horn, gittarone, gittern, glass harmonica, glockenspiel, gong, gran cassa, grand piano, guitar, Hammond organ (trademark), handbell, harmonica, harmonium, harp, harpsichord, Hawaiian guitar, helicon, horn, hornpipe, hunting horn, hurdy-gurdy, idiophone, jew's-harp, kazoo, kettledrum, keyboard, kit, kora, koto, lur or lure, lute, lyra viol, lyre, mandola, mandolin or mandoline, maraca, marimba, mbira, mellophone, melodeon or melodion, metallophone, Moog (trademark), mouth organ, musette, naker, ngoma, nickelodeon, nose flute, oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, ocarina, octachord, ondes Martenot, ophicleide, orchestrina or orchestrion, organ, orpharion, oud, panpipes, pedal steel guitar, penny whistle, piano, Pianola (trademark), piccolo, pipe, player piano, portative organ, racket, rebec or rebeck, recorder, reco-reco, reed organ, reed pipe, regal, rote, sackbut, samisen, sarangi, sarod, sarrusophone, saxhorn, saxophone, shawm, side drum, sistrum, sitar, slide guitar, snare drum, sousaphone, Spanish guitar, spinet, square piano, steam organ, steel guitar, stylophone, synthesizer, syrinx, tabla, tabor or tabour, tambour, tamboura, tambourine, tam-tam, theorbo, Theremin (trademark), timbal or tymbal, timpani or tympani, tom-tom, triangle, trigon, trombone, trumpet, tuba, tubular bells, uillean pipes, ukulele or ukelele, upright piano, vibraphone, vihuela, vina, viol, viola, viola da braccio, viola da gamba, viola d'amore, violin, violone, virginal, vocoder, washboard, Welsh harp, whip, whistle, wood block, Wurlitzer (trademark), xylophone, xylorimba, zither
Musical instruments
accordion, aeolian harp, alphorn or alpenhorn, althorn, Autoharp (trademark), baby grand, Bach trumpet, bagpipes, balalaika, bandore, banjo, barrel organ, baryton, bass drum, basset horn, bass guitar, bassoon, bass viol, bell, bodhrán, Böhm flute, bombardon, bongo, boudoir grand, bouzouki, bugle, calliope, carillon, castanets, celesta or celeste, cello or violoncello, cembalo, chamber organ, Chapman stick (trademark), chime, Chinese block, chitarrone, cimbalon or cymbalon, cithara or kithara, cittern, cither or cithern, clarinet, clarion, clarsach, clave, clavicembalo, clavichord, clavier, concert grand, concertina, conga, contrabass, contrabassoon, cor anglais, cornet, cornett, cottage piano, cowbell, crumhorn or krummhorn, crwth, cymbal, cymbalo, didgeridoo, Dobro (trademark), double bass, double bassoon, drum, drum machine, dulcimer, electric guitar, electronic organ, English horn, euphonium, fiddle, fife, flageolet, flugelhorn, flute, French horn, gittarone, gittern, glass harmonica, glockenspiel, gong, gran cassa, grand piano, guitar, Hammond organ (trademark), handbell, harmonica, harmonium, harp, harpsichord, Hawaiian guitar, helicon, horn, hornpipe, hunting horn, hurdy-gurdy, idiophone, jew's-harp, kazoo, kettledrum, keyboard, kit, kora, koto, lur or lure, lute, lyra viol, lyre, mandola, mandolin or mandoline, maraca, marimba, mbira, mellophone, melodeon or melodion, metallophone, Moog (trademark), mouth organ, musette, naker, ngoma, nickelodeon, nose flute, oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, ocarina, octachord, ondes Martenot, ophicleide, orchestrina or orchestrion, organ, orpharion, oud, panpipes, pedal steel guitar, penny whistle, piano, Pianola (trademark), piccolo, pipe, player piano, portative organ, racket, rebec or rebeck, recorder, reco-reco, reed organ, reed pipe, regal, rote, sackbut, samisen, sarangi, sarod, sarrusophone, saxhorn, saxophone, shawm, side drum, sistrum, sitar, slide guitar, snare drum, sousaphone, Spanish guitar, spinet, square piano, steam organ, steel guitar, stylophone, synthesizer, syrinx, tabla, tabor or tabour, tambour, tamboura, tambourine, tam-tam, theorbo, Theremin (trademark), timbal or tymbal, timpani or tympani, tom-tom, triangle, trigon, trombone, trumpet, tuba, tubular bells, uillean pipes, ukulele or ukelele, upright piano, vibraphone, vihuela, vina, viol, viola, viola da braccio, viola da gamba, viola d'amore, violin, violone, virginal, vocoder, washboard, Welsh harp, whip, whistle, wood block, Wurlitzer (trademark), xylophone, xylorimba, zither
Translations
instrument [ˈɪnstrʊmənt]
A. N
1. (Mus) (gen) → instrumento m
surgical instruments → instrumental m quirúrgico
set of instruments → instrumental m
to fly on instruments → volar por instrumentos
surgical instruments → instrumental m quirúrgico
set of instruments → instrumental m
to fly on instruments → volar por instrumentos
3. (Jur) → instrumento m
B. CPD instrument board, instrument panel N (Aer) → tablero m de instrumentos, cuadro m de instrumentos (US) (Aut) → tablero m de mandos, salpicadero m (Sp)
instrument [ˈɪnstrəmənt] n
(musical) → instrument m
to play an instrument → jouer d'un instrument
Do you play an instrument? → Est-ce que tu joues d'un instrument?
What instrument do you play? → De quel instrument joues-tu?
to play an instrument → jouer d'un instrument
Do you play an instrument? → Est-ce que tu joues d'un instrument?
What instrument do you play? → De quel instrument joues-tu?
(= tool, device) → instrument m
surgical instruments → instruments chirurgicaux
navigation instruments → instruments de navigation
surgical instruments → instruments chirurgicaux
navigation instruments → instruments de navigation
instrument
instrument in cpds (Aviat) → Instrumenten-; instrument panel or board (Aviat) → Instrumententafel f; (Aut) → Armaturenbrett nt
n
(Mus, Med, Tech) → Instrument nt; (domestic) → Gerät nt; to fly an aircraft on instruments → ein Flugzeug nach den (Bord)instrumenten fliegen
(fig: = person) → Werkzeug nt
vt
(Mus) → instrumentieren
(= put into effect) → durchführen, ausführen
instrument in cpds (Aviat) → Instrumenten-; instrument panel or board (Aviat) → Instrumententafel f; (Aut) → Armaturenbrett nt
instrument [ˈɪnstrəmənt] n (also) (Mus) → strumento
to fly on instruments (Aer) → fare il volo strumentale
to fly on instruments (Aer) → fare il volo strumentale
1. a tool, especially if used for delicate scientific or medical work. medical/surgical/mathematical instruments.
2. (also musical instrument) an apparatus for producing musical sounds. He can play the piano, violin and several other instruments.
ˌinstruˈmental (-ˈmen-) adjective performed on, or written for, musical instrument(s) rather than voices. She likes instrumental music.
ˌinstruˈmentalist (-ˈmen-) noun a person who plays a musical instrument. There are three instrumentalists and one singer in the group.
instrument → أداة nástroj instrument Instrument όργανο instrumento väline instrument instrument strumento 器具 도구 instrument instrument przyrząd instrumento инструмент instrument เครื่องดนตรี alet dụng cụ 仪器
in·stru·ment
n. instrumento.
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