accordion

Meaning

Noun

1. A box-shaped musical instrument played by compressing or expanding its bellows while pressing its buttons or its keys, causing pallets to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel (reeds).
2. A vertical list of items that can be individually expanded and collapsed to reveal their contents.
3. (attributive, figuratively) Something, or set of things (concepts, etc), which can be expanded (or extended) and collapsed, like the musical instrument's pleated, folding bellows.

Verb

To fold up, in the manner of an accordion

Synonyms

concertina

piano accordion

harmonica

squeeze box

squeezebox

hand organ

accordion fold paper

z-fold paper

fanfold paper

mouth-organ

zig-zag fold paper

bayan

Translations

accordéon

🪗

acordeón

🪗

Akkordeon

🪗

fisarmonica

🪗

acordeão

🪗

accordeon

🪗

acordió

🪗

Ziehharmonika

sanfona

ακορντεόν

akordiyon

🪗

harmonica

trekharmonika

gaita

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈkɔ(ɹ).di.ˌən/

Etymology

First attested in 1831. From German Akkordeon, from Akkord (“harmony”), from French accord, from Old French acorder, based on Italian accordare (“to tune”). See also accord.