harmonica

/ˌhɑɹˈmɒ.nɪ.kə/

HⱭɹMⱰ · nɪ · kə (3 syllables)

English Noun Top 15,577

Definition

A musical wind instrument with a series of holes for the player to blow into, each hole producing a different note.

Etymology

From armonica. Coined by American polymath and statesman Benjamin Franklin to refer to his glass harmonica, an instrument that predated the small wind instrument by several decades. Doublet of harmonic; compare Latin harmonicus.