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Glite Dictionary
squeeze box

squeeze box

1 6.3
A box-shaped instrument with bellows that you press to make music, like an accordion
  • noun
  • /skwiz bɑks/
translation icon : acordeón
  • The sound reminded her of a rusty squeeze box, and Noah glanced up and winked, then went back to checking the crabs, making sure they were the right size.

Examples

  • At the local fair, the musician played lively tunes on his squeeze box, entertaining the crowd.

  • From under the blanket came a syncopated squeeze box rasp, and we were a sort of Salvation Army band.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • During the festival, many people danced to the cheerful melodies produced by a squeeze box.

  • She enjoyed playing her squeeze box at family gatherings, where everyone would sing along.

Synonyms

accordion
vssqueeze box
33 5.6

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

is the broader box-shaped class including this specific type

Surface Forms

squeeze box singular
squeeze boxes plural

Morphology

squeeze + box

The compound literally denotes a 'box' that is 'squeezed', so a B1 learner who knows 'squeeze' and 'box' can infer a physical object operated by squeezing. However, identifying this as the conventionalized term for a bellows-driven musical instrument (accordion/concertina) requires cultural/lexical knowledge beyond the straightforward composition, so the relation is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Squeeze box comes from the simple image of pushing or squeezing a box to make music. These instruments have a box-like body and a part you push and pull to move air and make sound, so squeeze box now means a small, portable 'instrument' like the 'accordion' or 'concertina'.