Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
clavecin

clavecin

9.9
A keyboard instrument like a piano that makes sound by plucking strings
  • noun
  • /klævəˈsæn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : clavecín
  • She learned to play the clavecin while studying early music in Paris.

Examples

  • A beautifully decorated clavecin stood in the corner of the music room.

  • The clavecin produces a unique sound.

  • The Baroque ensemble featured a clavecin as the main keyboard instrument.

  • Many composers wrote for the clavecin during the Baroque period.

  • The musician played a beautiful melody on the clavecin during the concert.

  • In the 17th century, composers wrote many pieces specifically for the clavecin.

  • She learned how to tune the clavecin before her performance at the historic theater.

Synonyms

harpsichord
vsclavecin
7 8.4

A keyboard instrument with strings plucked to make a bright sound

is the French and historical name for the same instrument
clavier
vsclavecin
1 9.9

A keyboard instrument like a piano or harpsichord

is a specific French or historical name for one stringed keyboard type

Surface Forms

clavecin singular
clavecins plural

Etymology

Clavecin is the French name for the harpsichord and comes from an older word with the root clavi- meaning 'key' (seen in clavier, 'keyboard') and a second part meaning 'harp' or 'plucked instrument'. So think 'key-harp' — that's why a clavecin is a keyboard that makes sound by plucking strings.