| 释义 |
humstrum|ˈhʌmˈstrʌm|
[f. hum v.1 + strum v., the comb. being favoured by the jingling effect of the whole: cf. helter-skelter, hurry-scurry.]
1. A musical instrument of rude construction or out of tune; a hurdy-gurdy.
1739Gray Let. to R. West in Mason Mem. (1807) I. 185 Cracked voices..accompanied by an orchestra of humstrums. 1763B. Thornton in Ann. Reg. 245 note, This instrument [hurdy-gurdy] is sometimes called a hum-strum. 1779Wedgwood in Smiles Life xviii. (1894) 232 My girl is quite tired out with her miserable hum-strum [spinet]. 1821P. Hawker Diary (1893) I. 246, I..sat at my old humstrum, and boggled through a given number of Bach's fugues.
2. ‘Music, esp. indifferently played music’ (Ogilvie 1882). |