mechanical piano
- noun
- /məˈkænɪkəl ˈpiːənoʊ/
- Archaic
:
piano mecánico
- She bought a restored mechanical piano, which plays music from rolls of perforated paper, to enhance her vintage-themed home.
Examples
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The old saloon had a mechanical piano playing ragtime tunes in the corner.
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A mechanical piano can fill a room with music even when no one is around to play.
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She bought a restored mechanical piano to add charm to her vintage-themed home.
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The mechanical piano played beautifully at the party.
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Have you ever seen a mechanical piano in action?
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The old saloon had a mechanical piano that played cheerful tunes automatically for customers.
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At the museum, visitors enjoyed the mechanical piano as it showcased classic melodies without any musicians present.
Synonyms
3
6.7
A piano that plays by itself using a paper roll
1
9.7
A piano that plays by itself when you put in a roll of paper with holes
How Automatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The notion 'a piano that operates by mechanical means or plays automatically' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'mechanical' (relating to machines) with 'piano' (the instrument). This adjective–noun composition follows normal English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the core meaning even if they might not know the technical detail of paper rolls.
Etymology
Mechanical piano comes from old machines where a roll of paper with holes moved through the piano and told the piano which keys to press, while simple mechanical parts or air made those keys move. So, the term means 'a piano that plays by itself'.