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piano accordion

piano accordion

5.1
A musical instrument with a piano-style keyboard for the right hand and buttons for the left hand
  • noun
  • /piˈænoʊ əˈkɔrdɪən/
translation icon : acordeón piano
  • The piano accordion, for example, has become a Scottish instrument in the minds of many, like the bagpipe and the harp before it.

Examples

  • Bumstead steps into frame, carrying a massive piano accordion.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Needing something more portable, she began playing a piano accordion.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Bumstead enters, holding his piano accordion.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Bumstead lifts his piano accordion out from behind the sofa and is about to place it in its case.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • You know, the very first music inside our church literally was an old guy on a piano accordion, um, a keyboard player playing a piano which was out of tune and some of the... some of the keys didn't even work.

  • She enjoys playing her piano accordion at family gatherings, where everyone loves to sing along.

  • During the festival, he performed a lively tune on his piano accordion, captivating the audience.

  • The piano accordion combines a keyboard for melodies and buttons for harmony, making it versatile for various music genres.

Synonyms

accordion
vspiano accordion
33 5.6

A portable instrument you play by pushing and pulling a folded case with keys and buttons to make music

has right-hand white and black keys instead of only buttons
keyboard instrument
vspiano accordion
3.1

A musical machine with keys you press to make notes, like a piano or organ

is a bellows instrument that combines right-hand keys with left-hand buttons

How Complex

piano accordion
5.1
accordion
33 5.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

piano + accordion

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'piano' (a keyboard instrument) with 'accordion' describes an accordion that uses a piano-style keyboard. This compound noun follows a transparent, cross-linguistically common naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the intended instrument type.

Etymology

Piano accordion comes from adding a small piano-style 'keyboard' to the right side of an accordion. Picture piano keys on a box with 'bellows' you push and pull; that's why the name simply describes this kind of accordion today.