instrumentaladj.n.

Brit.

/ˌɪnstrᵿˈmɛntl/, U.S.

/ˌɪnstrəˈmɛn(t)l/

Forms: Middle English instrumentale, Middle English–1600s instrumentall, Middle English– instrumental; also Scottish pre-1700 instromentall.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French instrumental; Latin instrumentalis.

Etymology: < (i) Middle French instrumental (French instrumental ) that serves as a means, of the nature of an instrument (c1370), (of music) performed with one or more musical instruments (15th cent.), and its etymon (ii) post-classical Latin instrumentalis of the nature of an instrument or agent, that serves as an agent, instrumental (frequently from 12th cent. in British sources, especially in philosophy; also in continental sources), of or relating to a musical instrument, having bodily organs, organic (all 13th cent. in British sources), designating a type of grammatical case (c1210 in a British source; a1536 in a continental source), of a document or legal instrument (15th cent. in a British source; a1540 in a continental source) < classical Latin instrūmentum instrument n. + -ālis -al suffix¹. Compare Spanish instrumental (early 15th cent. as adjective, second half of the 16th cent. as noun in sense ‘means’), Portuguese instrumental (1601; 15th cent. as †estrumentall, †stromental), Italian strumentale, (now literary) istrumentale (both early 14th cent.), adjectives.With use with reference to a grammatical case (see sense A. 6) compare Sanskrit karaṇa kāraka ( < karaṇa action, instrument, that which is expressed by the instrumental case + Sanskrit kāraka kind of grammatical case which relates a noun to a verb). With use as noun compare Middle French instrumental bodily organ (1533 in the passage translated in quot. ?1541 at sense B. 1).

A. adj.

a. That is used to bring about a result or accomplish a purpose; that serves as a means. Also: of the nature of an instrument. instrumental cause n. (also cause instrumental) Philosophy and Theology (esp. in Neoplatonic and scholastic metaphysics) a causal agent which is used by another causal agent to bring about an effect outside of itself; cf. efficient cause at cause n. 5.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [adjective] > instrumental

instrumentala1398

mediate?1504

organic1509

ministerial?1544

instrumentaryc1595

organical1605

subservient1624

ministering1886

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iii. xx. 117 [With reference to the sense of taste.] Þe cause material and instrumental [L. instrumentalis] is in þe tonge.

1576 A. Fleming Panoplie Epist. To Rdr. sig. ¶v^v The seruice of his naturall abilities, and the use of his instrumentall powers.

1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. H8^v We giue vnto God..the cheefest rule in all things, all other creatures being but the instrumentall, or secundarie causes.

a1615 P. Lily 2 Serm. (1619) 3 I doe not say they are principall causes, but instrumentall, adjuvant, secundary, inferiour causes.

1697 tr. F. Burgersdijck Monitio Logica i. xvii. 65 The Instrumental Cause is that which subserves the principal Cause in its Effecting.

1766 J. Fordyce Serm. Young Women II. xi. 216 The instrumental duties of religion, as they are usually termed.

1797 E. Burke Third Let. Peace Regicide Directory France 90 The loan demonstrates, in regard to instrumental resources, the competency of this kingdom to the assertion of the common cause.

1850 H. Rogers Ess. I. 357 The art of persuasive argumentation will, like every other instrumental art, be capable of abuse.

1939 ELH 6 310 The Holy Spirit, here acting in the capacity of an instrumental intermediary to the First Person.

2012 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 6 Dec. 41/1 Haidt's..utilitarianism reduces the values of loyalty, authority, and sanctity to a purely instrumental role.

†b. Serving well for a given purpose; serviceable, useful; effective, efficient. Obsolete.In later use merged with sense A. 1c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective]

frameeOE

goodeOE

mightyOE

vailanta1325

sicker1338

mightful1340

suffisant1340

virtuousa1387

effectivea1398

effectuala1398

worthya1398

availingc1420

effectuous?a1425

operant?a1425

substantialc1449

virtual?a1475

substantious1483

available1502

efficacious1528

energial1528

working1532

operatory1551

operatoriousa1555

stately1567

feckful1568

efficace?1572

shifty1585

operative1590

instrumental1601

efficable1607

speeding1612

effectuating1615

officious1618

availsome1619

prevailable1624

valid1651

perficient1659

affectuous1664

implemental1676

virtual1760

efficient1787

sufficient1831

slick1833

roadworthy1837

practician1863

positive1903

performant1977

1601 J. Chamber Astronomiae Encomium 36 in Treat. against Iudicial Astrol. Neither is this knowledge & skill profitable or commodious onely, but also very instrumentall, and helpfull to our saluation.

1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet i. ii. 48 The head is not more natiue to the hart The hand more instrumentall to the mouth Then is the throne of Denmarke to thy father.

1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 26 How instrumental soever the Captain hath been, the General usually carries away the honour of the Action.

1674 in O. Airy Essex Papers (1890) I. 249 My Lord Conway & S^r Arth^r Forbese have bin instrumentall & usefull to me herein.

1709 J. Swift Project Advancem. Relig. 52 It would be very instrumental, to have a Law made.

1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. ii. 175 Those truths which are most instrumental in purifying the heart and reforming the life.

c. In predicative use with in or to (in early use also with †infinitive or rarely †for or †of). Contributing to the accomplishment of a specified purpose or the realization of a specified result. Also (in later use): crucial or pivotal to the accomplishment of a specified purpose or result.

ΚΠ

1616 J. Dyke D. Dyke's Two Treat.: Repentance & Christs Temptations i. xv. 139 In our sinnes wee are commonly instrumentall for Sathan to draw others into our sinnes with vs. True Repentance will make vs zealous to bee as instrumentall to bring others to God.

1650 Bp. J. Taylor Rule & Exercises Holy Living iv. §1. 234 Prayer, which is instrumental to every thing.

1669 S. Pepys Diary 28 Apr. (1976) IX. 536 My Lady Castlemayne is instrumental in this matter.

1669 J. Dryden Wild Gallant iv. i. 48 You have been instrumental I hear of my preferment.

1722 W. Sewel Hist. Quakers Pref. sig. a3^v I was prepared to be instrumental for such a Work as this.

1736 Bp. J. Butler Analogy of Relig. i. iii. 53 Instrumental in bringing about Revolutions.

1796 J. L. Towers Illustr. of Prophecy II. xx. 363 He who is instrumental in perpetuating a corrupt and wicked government, is also instrumental in unfitting his fellow-men for the felicity of the celestial mansions.

1873 J. A. Symonds Stud. Greek Poets i. 17 Zeal for greater rigour of thought was instrumental in developing a new vehicle of language in the creation of a prose style.

1881 J. Simon in Nature 18 Aug. 372/1 When the life of either man or brute is to be made merely instrumental to the establishment of a scientific truth.

1940 Times 30 Apr. 2/6 He had been instrumental in the formation of that council.

1995 S. Sharoni Gender & Israeli–Palestinian Conflict p. ix Her personal and professional dedication, limitless faith in me, and unconditional support were instrumental to the completion of this book.

2005 Village Voice (N.Y.) 13 July 7/4 The press might have been instrumental in bringing down another president.

2. Of a part of the body: that performs a special function; that is an organ. Also: of or relating to an organ. Cf. instrument n. 4. Now historical and rare.Quot. ?a1425 might be analysed as showing a noun (cf. quot. ?1541 at sense B. 1), but it seems more likely to show an inflected form of the adjective.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > system > [adjective] > organ > having function

instrumental?a1425

organicalc1450

instrumentary1564

instrumentarian1649

functional1841

?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 8 (MED) Componed membrez..bene called forsoþ organic & instrumentalez [?c1425 Paris instrumentis; L. instrumentalia], for þai bene instrumentez of þe soule, as hand, face, hert, lyuer.

?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 30 Þe forsaide instrumental membres beþ compownede of many þinges.

1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour iii. xxiii. sig. g.vi The sensis..be distributed in to dyuers instrumentall partes of the body: as sight in to the eyen: herynge to the eares: smellyng to the nose: [etc.].

1539 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) i. f. 10 (table) Members instrumentall. The stomacke. The raynes. The bowelles. All the great synewes.

1578 J. Banister Hist. Man iv. f. 44 A Muscle..is an instrumentall part of the body.

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 340 I wish al Ferrers..to know the causes of all diseases, as wel in the parts similer, as instrumentall.

1668 W. Rowland tr. J. Feyens New Treat. Spirits & Wind vii. 20 The whole Abdomen or Panch swells by wind, as in a Tympany; and the Liver and Spleen are wonderfully stopt thereby..; and all these are instrumental diseases: therefore organical diseases are also from wind.

1726 T. Bisse Musick Delight of Sons of Men 8 The hand the instrumental organ to perform; the ear to receive, form and convey musick to the Soul.

1784 F. Sydenham Onomasticon Theologicum iii. xv. 200 The finer Members of the Body, instrumental to Sensation.

1850 Trans. Bombay Geogr. Soc. 1849–50 9 286 The term Kef is more particularly referable to miracles, where the hand is the instrumental member.

2001 J. G. Lennox in tr. Aristotle On Parts Animals 179 A case is made for the teleological priority of instrumental parts or ‘organs’ over uniform parts or ‘tissues’.

†a. Of the nature of a tool or instrument; resembling a tool or instrument in form or shape. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 1 (MED) Instrumentez of Cyrurgiens..bene manyfolde, For..som bene medicinale, som bene instrumentale [?c1425 Paris Instrumentes] of yren.

?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 86 (MED) Signez of fistulez ar y-taken of substantially cleuyng þingez, as of þat callose skyn & of þe instrumentale fourme of þe fistule [?c1425 Paris of þe schappe of a pype; L. a forma fistule instrumentalis].

a1500 (a1477) Black Bk. (Soc. of Antiquaries) in A. R. Myers Househ. Edward IV (1959) 126 No feez of plate nor syluer but hit be in this instrumental tooles perused by ocupacion.

b. Carried out using a specialized tool, device, or instrument (instrument n. 1b, instrument n. 1c); of the nature of, relating to, or involving an instrument or instruments of this kind.Cf. instrumental error n. at Compounds.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > [adjective]

instrumental1633

1633 tr. Math. Recreations lxxxxiv. 225 Get the sunnes distance by instrumentall observation from the zenith at noone. [No corresponding passage in the French original.]

1647 N. Nye Art of Gunnery ii. 47 The degree in the Circle, that was cut in the Circle of the Instrument, when you made your Instrumentall observation.

1726 P. Shaw New Pract. Physic II. 507 The instrumental method of delivery, except the cæsarian operation, is always death to the child, if he be not dead before.

1761 H. Pemberton in Philos. Trans. 1760 (Royal Soc.) 51 921 The instrumental construction proposed by Mr. Collins will very readily give the true latitude.

1830 J. F. W. Herschel Prelim. Disc. Study Nat. Philos. 125 We are obliged to have recourse to instrumental aids.

1876 Trans. Clin. Soc. 9 70 No instrumental treatment had taken place that day.

1928 Jrnl. Sci. Instruments 5 145 Most of the instrumental troubles with recording electrographs arise from defective insulation.

1969 Guardian 12 Aug. 2/8 The craft, launched on Friday, also took instrumental measurements of near-moon space.

2011 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 77 163 Stress placement was judged auditorily..and verified through instrumental analysis..by measuring pitch, amplitude, and duration.

a. Of music: performed on or with one or more musical instruments; spec. performed using only musical instruments, without vocals; composed to be performed in this way. Of a musician or group of musicians: that performs using only musical instruments. Opposed to vocal.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > [adjective] > instrumental

instrumental1517

organical1521

1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) 2 Of musyke mundayne, humayne, & instrumentall.

1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxxviii. 75 They which..require the abrogation of instrumentall musique.

1637 State Imperiall-court in tr. Particular State Govt. of Ferdinand II sig. I2^v One Master of the Court-chappell. Two Organists. Twenty Instrumental Musicians.

c1660 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1641 (1955) II. 67 His three Daughters, entertain'd us with rare Musique, both Vocal & Instrumental.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 686 With Heav'nly touch of instrumental sounds In full harmonic number joind.

1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 405. ¶8 Vocal and Instrumental Musick were made use of in their Religious Worship.

1774 Gentleman's Mag. June 263/2 The harmonious sound from the instrumental band,..being conveyed to the company through the orange plantation and shrubbery, created a most happy and pleasing effect.

1839 Spectator 13 Apr. 340/2 It has been justly remarked of Spohr, that ‘his violin sings’; the highest compliment that an instrumental performer can receive.

1891 Times 8 Oct. 7/4 When these alone sing, the balance is better kept by omitting the instrumental parts.

1948 R. M. Myers Handel's Messiah vi. 254 Never were the charms of vocal and instrumental music more happily united.

1999 N.Y. Times 4 Nov. e5/6 The program's musical charms included an instrumental ensemble featuring balalaikas and accordions.

2012 Time Out N.Y. 12 July 69/4 Alarm Will Sound performs John Cage's Song Books, a daring collection of electronic music, theater tidbits, songs and instrumental pieces.

b. Of or relating to a musical instrument; of the nature of a musical instrument; (now chiefly) reminiscent of the sound produced by a musical instrument.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > [adjective]

organly1435

organica1631

instrumental1655

organic1786

digital1970

1655 I. Walton Compl. Angler (ed. 2) i. 15 The Nightingale..breathes such sweet lowd musick out of her little instrumental throat.

1702 E. Bysshe Art Eng. Poetry 20 The Powers militant That stood for Heav'n..mov'd on..to the Sound of instrumental Harmony.

a1822 P. B. Shelley To Constantia Singing in Posthumous Poems (1824) 143 The blood and life within those snowy fingers Teach witchcraft to the instrumental strings.

1891 Funny Folks 26 Dec. 8/4 Floating on the wind, from the windows of the palace, came the sounds produced by combined vocal c'ords [sic] and instrumental strings.

1963 Times 18 July 14/2 The firm, almost instrumental quality of line shown by the soloists in the Gloria..gave a clear idea of what was wanted.

2004 W. Keil in Music & Lit. in German Romanticism x. 154 Antonie's voice is instrumental in quality, sounding like the Aeolian harp and the organ.

5. Law. Of or relating to a legal instrument, such as a contract or deed (see instrument n. 2a). Chiefly in instrumental witness n. a witness to a legal instrument. Now rare.Cf. the more common instrumentary adj. 3.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > legal document > [adjective]

above-recited1534

instrumental1790

documental1825

documentary1827

1790 A. J. Dallas Rep. Cases Pennsylvania 1 209 Instrumental witnesses are always called upon.

1839 E. Cowen & N. Hill Notes Phillipps' Treat. Law of Evid. II. 1438 In respect to this species of instrumental evidence,..a mere receipt is not regarded as the exclusive expositor of the intent of the party.

1879 Galveston (Texas) News 25 Apr. Unless there are instrumental witnesses present when the declaration of sale is made before the notary, the instrument is not a complete and perfect public instrument.

1963 Virginia Law Rev. 49 1014 The law had placed it [sc. the state] in the position of a normal party calling an instrumental witness.

2015 Manila Times (Nexis) 14 Oct. The will must be signed on the left margin of each and every page..by the testator..as well as the instrumental witnesses.

6. Grammar and Linguistics.

a. instrumental case n. Grammar (in Sanskrit, Slavonic languages, and some other inflected languages) a case of nouns and pronouns, and of words in grammatical agreement with them, the typical function of which is to express the means or instrument with which something is done.In 19th-cent. grammars of Sanskrit this case is also designated as causative or implementive. Compare e.g.:

1848 H. Welsford Mithridates Minor 105 Sanskrit Nouns..have eight cases... The third may be denominated the Implementive Case, having the force of the sign by, or with.

With reference to other inflected languages where another case is used to express means, also called ablative of (the) instrument (in e.g. Latin), instrumental dative (in e.g. ancient and Hellenistic Greek and Old English), etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > case > [adjective] > other spec.

polyptote1656

instrumental case1801

allative1831

adessive1852

abessive1854

instructive1857

caritive1860

comitative1860

juxtapositive1880

similative1884

illative1890

translative1890

introessive1903

perlative1937

lative1939

patient1939

ergative1943

elative1951

non-objective1954

superessive1971

1801 W. Carey Gram. Bengalee Lang. 92 Verbs which express the performance of an action by means of an instrument, govern the instrumental case.

1813 W. Taylor in Monthly Rev. 71 476 Several Slavonian dialects..have seven cases, the six cases of the Latins, and an instrumental case.

1877 Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1876–7 16 325 The two first sentences give us a locative case in -ak, the two latter an instrumental case in -ok.

1935 Anthropos 30 518 Words denoting rational beings are not generally used in the instrumental case.

1955 J. W. Perry in W. N. Locke & A. D. Booth Machine Transl. Langs. xi. 181 Problems are to be anticipated in..the interpretation of the various uses of the genitive, dative, accusative, and instrumental cases.

2011 T. Wade Comprehensive Russ. Gram. (ed. 3) 121 A noun is placed in the instrumental case to denote that the object it represents is being used to perform a function.

b. Linguistics. Expressing the means or instrument with which something is done. In Grammar: designating a word form, inflectional suffix, etc., in or denoting the instrumental case.

ΚΠ

1820 W. Yates Gram. Sunscrit Lang. App. 420 Instrumental nouns, as [vaktra]..the mouth.

1876 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. vi. 99 In both [Greek and Latin]..we shall find remnants of both locative and instrumental forms.

1877 J. Peile Philol. iv. 76 An instrumental-compound, i.e. one the first part of which stands to the second in the relation of an instrumental case.

1935 PMLA 50 948 The instrumental ending of the masculine a-stems [in Old English]..was originally -i.

1995 Canad. Slavonic Papers 37 145 The meaning of -shchik has expanded to include both personal and instrumental nouns.

2007 Harvard Ukrainian Stud. 29 247 The chronicle used Church Slavonic as an emphatic stylistic device.., e.g., mnozy smertiju umroša ‘many died (by a death)’.., an archaic instrumental construction with an aorist form.

7. Psychology. Involving the modification of behaviour by the reinforcing or inhibiting effect of its own consequences; = operant adj. 2. Frequently in instrumental conditioning. Contrasted with respondent adj. 4b.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > psychology > experimental psychology > conditioning > [adjective] > from particular response

instrumental1940

1940 E. R. Hilgard & D. G. Marquis Conditioning & Learning iii. 51 When the occurrence of the reinforcement is contingent upon the organism's behavior the procedure may be termed instrumental conditioning.

1940 E. R. Hilgard & D. G. Marquis Conditioning & Learning iii. 52 As a reference experiment for instrumental reward training we may select a study by Grindley.

1972 New Yorker 26 Aug. 32/1 Edward L. Thorndike..is credited with the first rigorous investigation of trial-and-error, or instrumental, learning.

2008 U. Frith Autism: Very Short Introd. vi. 103 The response was impenetrably rigid. To me this suggests simple association learning or instrumental conditioning.

B. n.

†1. An organ or other part of the body that performs a special function; = instrument n. 4. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > system > [noun] > organ

instrumenta1398

organ?a1425

instrumental?1541

organon1583

organum1614

corpus1706

apparatus1718

?1541 R. Copland Guy de Chauliac's Questyonary Cyrurgyens ii. sig. Cij As to the seconde questyon that asketh why they [sc. the membres compostes] be called organykes & instrumentalles [Fr. instrumentaulx].

1564 P. Moore Hope of Health i. iv. 7 Some other partes in the body be called..instrumentalles and vnlyke partes.

†2. A person or thing used to bring about a result or accomplish a purpose; an instrument (instrument n. 3), a means. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [noun] > (a) means

keyOE

toolc1000

wherewithc1230

ministerc1380

meanc1390

instrumenta1425

organ?a1425

mesne1447

moyen1449

handlec1450

hackneya1500

receipta1500

operative1526

ingine1531

appliance1555

agent1579

matter1580

mids1581

wedge1581

wherewithal1583

shoeing-horn1587

engine1589

instrumental1598

Roaring Meg1598

procurement1601

organy1605

vehicle1615

vehiculuma1617

executioner1646

facility1652

operatory1660

instrumentality1663

expedient1665

agency1684

bladea1713

mechanic1924

mechanism1924

1598 A. M. tr. J. Guillemeau Frenche Chirurg. Pref. sig. a To represent..not onlye the materialle, and formalle principles, wherof..mans bodye, is created,..but the Instrumentalles, throughe the which we as by such meanes mayntayne the same in his naturall healthe.

1605 F. Bacon Of Aduancem. Learning ii. sig. Aa4 Vnto the deepe, fruitefull, and operatiue studie of many Scyences..Bookes be not onely the Instrumentals .

a1643 J. Spelman Case of Affaires (1644) 11 Through the concurrence of those that are the instrumentals of His restraint.

1713 J. Edwards Theologia Reformata I. i. 72 He [sc. God] is not necessitated to use the assistance of any Instrumentals.

1846 New Jerusalem Mag. July 445 Those things which at best are but instrumentals, and should, therefore, occupy only a subordinate place in the mind.

3. Music.

(a) A piece or passage of music performed on or composed for musical instruments, esp. without vocals.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > piece of music > type of piece > [noun] > instrumental piece

fanfarea1605

sonata1683

instrumental1700

song without words1838

canzona-

1700 T. Tryon Lett., Domestick & Foreign xxix. 166 You are to teach them [sc. Children] the time and length of each Note, by expressing them with the Voice and motion of the Foot, if it be Instrumentals.

1769 Private Lett. from Amer. in Eng. iv. 12 Every full moon they had a regular concert of vocals and instrumentals in the very public house we baited at.

1825 F. Franck Autobiogr. Sketch xiii. 48 In my uncle's repertory were six ‘suites’ of Christian Bach, which hitherto I had deemed the non plus ultra of the beautiful in instrumentals.

1899 Carlisle (Indiana) News 16 Oct. 1/3 Mrs. James McConnell also contributed to the program. Her instrumentals are always appreciated.

1940 Swing July 17/1 Bob Mersey's Blue Ink is another slightly Wham-like instrumental.

1972 Jazz & Blues Sept. 11/3 Fats' work falls into three main categories: medium-tempo vocal blues..; slow, dragging blues and quasi-blues; and ‘jump’ instrumentals, normally featuring the tenor [saxophone] of Herb Hardesty.

2006 DJ 8 Nov. 84/4 A hypnotic instrumental that will confound and delight.

(b) In plural. The instrumental components of a piece of music. Frequently contrasted with vocals.

ΚΠ

1931 Lincoln (Nebraska) Sunday Star 25 Jan. d8 (advt.) Both voice and instrumentals come in with all the warmth and charm of actual human presence of the artists themselves.

1974 Times 8 Apr. 7/5 The singing and instrumentals on ‘Life Ain't Easy’ and ‘Second Street and Broadway’..were winning.

1998 R. Mansfield Studio Basics ii. 38 Track as much as you can premixed and reserve soloing for key instrumentals, vocals, and sweetener.

2015 City Times (San Diego City Coll.) 8 Dec. in University Wire (Nexis) 1 The song..gradually builds up to a beautiful grand wall of layered vocals and instrumentals.

b. A musician who plays an instrument, as opposed to a singer; = instrumentalist n. 1a. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > musician > instrumentalist > [noun]

player?c1450

sounder1591

instrumentist1609

twire-pipea1625

tweedle-dee1725

tweedle-dum1725

instrumental1798

instrumentalist1814

tudeler1814

1798 Bell's Weekly Messenger 16 Sept. 294/3 Amongst the vocal performers were Banti and Harrison;..among the instrumentals were Cramer, Ashley, Dragonetti, Linley, &c.

1825 London Evening Chron. 15 Sept. The total number of performers was 15 principal vocals, 250 instrumentals, and 350 chorus singers.

1883 E. Lloyd Grumbleby Hall I. xxxiii. 479 A very congratulatory conversation ensued amongst the instrumentals, each of whom, delighted at his own share in the performance, predicted a still greater success in what was to follow.

1905 Rochester (Indiana) Republican 21 Dec. To compound his organization as a full concert band, Director Weil made a long and scrutinous search for instrumentals who would, in his judgment, conform in the highest degree to a perfectly concerted body.

1940 Defiance (Ohio) Crescent-News 30 Jan. 2/4 Some of the best instrumentals offered several selections led by Emerson J. Burroughs.

4. Grammar.

a. Chiefly with the. The instrumental case. See sense A. 6a.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > case > [noun] > other specific cases

ablativec1400

instrumental1801

prepositional1824

allative1854

adessive1855

sociative1859

comitative1860

terminative1865

abessive1869

common case1869

translative1869

instructive1879

essive1890

transitional case1890

superessive1895

prepositional case1897

similative1903

lative1939

perlative1953

elative1959

1801 W. Carey Gram. Bengalee Lang. 21 The cases of Bengalee nouns are seven: the Nominative, Accusative, Instrumental, Dative, Ablative, Possessive, and Locative.

1824 J. Heard Gram. Russ. Lang. §9 There are six cases in the Russian Language: the Nominative, the Accusative, the Genitive, the Dative, the Instrumental, the Prepositional.

1876 H. Sweet Anglo-Saxon Reader Introd. p. xlv Adjectives have the three genders of nouns, and the same cases, with the addition of the instrumental.

1944 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 64 190/2 In hieroglyphic Hittite, as in Latin, the ancient ablative seems to have assumed also the function of the instrumental.

2011 T. Wade Comprehensive Russ. Gram. (ed. 3) 124 The instrumental is also used to express similarity.

b. A word in the instrumental case; a form which is the instrumental case of a word.

ΚΠ

1846 H. C. Rawlinson Persian Cuneiform Inscription Behistun 212 Abish may possibly be the dative plural, as aibish would be the instrumental of the same number.

1846 M. Williams Elem. Gram. Sanscrit x. 192 In this sense many causals [i.e. causal verbs] take an instrumental.

1879 W. D. Whitney Sanskrit Gram. iv. 84 The construction of a passive verb (or participle) with an instrumental of the agent is common.

1910 H. H. Bender Suffixes Mant & Vant in Sanskrit & Avestan i. ii. 57 The ā was, doubtless, inserted between stem and suffix thru analogy with the instrumentals sahasā and çavasā.

1952 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 72 102/2 The instrumental is mäfyäčča ‘instrument in which one drinks’.

2001 Language 77 513 Serbo-Croatian nouns in oblique case forms (instrumentals and datives) elicit longer response times in visual lexical-decision tasks than nominative forms.

Compounds

instrumental break n. Music a section of a song performed using only musical instruments, as an interval between vocal sections.

ΚΠ

1925 C. F. A. Williams Rhythm of Song i. 7 When there are more than three stanzas we do not want the poem to be hung up by too long instrumental breaks.

1968 Melody Maker 12 Oct. 8/3 It was a wild finish to a pounding set that included Mose Allison's ‘Young Man Blues’, with a scorching instrumental break.

2014 Candy Sept. 90/2 Dancers came out to strut their stuff during the instrumental breaks in a song.

instrumental error n. a persistent or recurring error in measurement arising from imperfect instrumentation.

ΚΠ

1797 S. Vince Compl. Syst. Astron. I. 316 The aberration is the difference between the true place and that measured by the instrument, or the instrumental error.

1833 J. F. W. Herschel Astronomy ii. 72 Such inquiries constitute the theory of instrumental errors.

1981 P. van de Kamp Stellar Paths i. 1 The observations are corrected for atmospheric refraction and instrumental errors.

2012 States News Service (Nexis) 24 Oct. The satellite readings also showed ozone levels so low the team thought it might be instrumental error.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	instrumental
释义	instrumentaladj.n. Brit. /ˌɪnstrᵿˈmɛntl/, U.S. /ˌɪnstrəˈmɛn(t)l/ Forms: Middle English instrumentale, Middle English–1600s instrumentall, Middle English– instrumental; also Scottish pre-1700 instromentall. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French instrumental; Latin instrumentalis. Etymology: < (i) Middle French instrumental (French instrumental ) that serves as a means, of the nature of an instrument (c1370), (of music) performed with one or more musical instruments (15th cent.), and its etymon (ii) post-classical Latin instrumentalis of the nature of an instrument or agent, that serves as an agent, instrumental (frequently from 12th cent. in British sources, especially in philosophy; also in continental sources), of or relating to a musical instrument, having bodily organs, organic (all 13th cent. in British sources), designating a type of grammatical case (c1210 in a British source; a1536 in a continental source), of a document or legal instrument (15th cent. in a British source; a1540 in a continental source) < classical Latin instrūmentum instrument n. + -ālis -al suffix¹. Compare Spanish instrumental (early 15th cent. as adjective, second half of the 16th cent. as noun in sense ‘means’), Portuguese instrumental (1601; 15th cent. as †estrumentall, †stromental), Italian strumentale, (now literary) istrumentale (both early 14th cent.), adjectives.With use with reference to a grammatical case (see sense A. 6) compare Sanskrit karaṇa kāraka ( < karaṇa action, instrument, that which is expressed by the instrumental case + Sanskrit kāraka kind of grammatical case which relates a noun to a verb). With use as noun compare Middle French instrumental bodily organ (1533 in the passage translated in quot. ?1541 at sense B. 1). A. adj. 1. a. That is used to bring about a result or accomplish a purpose; that serves as a means. Also: of the nature of an instrument. instrumental cause n. (also cause instrumental) Philosophy and Theology (esp. in Neoplatonic and scholastic metaphysics) a causal agent which is used by another causal agent to bring about an effect outside of itself; cf. efficient cause at cause n. 5. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [adjective] > instrumental instrumentala1398 mediate?1504 organic1509 ministerial?1544 instrumentaryc1595 organical1605 subservient1624 ministering1886 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iii. xx. 117 [With reference to the sense of taste.] Þe cause material and instrumental [L. instrumentalis] is in þe tonge. 1576 A. Fleming Panoplie Epist. To Rdr. sig. ¶v^v The seruice of his naturall abilities, and the use of his instrumentall powers. 1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. H8^v We giue vnto God..the cheefest rule in all things, all other creatures being but the instrumentall, or secundarie causes. a1615 P. Lily 2 Serm. (1619) 3 I doe not say they are principall causes, but instrumentall, adjuvant, secundary, inferiour causes. 1697 tr. F. Burgersdijck Monitio Logica i. xvii. 65 The Instrumental Cause is that which subserves the principal Cause in its Effecting. 1766 J. Fordyce Serm. Young Women II. xi. 216 The instrumental duties of religion, as they are usually termed. 1797 E. Burke Third Let. Peace Regicide Directory France 90 The loan demonstrates, in regard to instrumental resources, the competency of this kingdom to the assertion of the common cause. 1850 H. Rogers Ess. I. 357 The art of persuasive argumentation will, like every other instrumental art, be capable of abuse. 1939 ELH 6 310 The Holy Spirit, here acting in the capacity of an instrumental intermediary to the First Person. 2012 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 6 Dec. 41/1 Haidt's..utilitarianism reduces the values of loyalty, authority, and sanctity to a purely instrumental role. †b. Serving well for a given purpose; serviceable, useful; effective, efficient. Obsolete.In later use merged with sense A. 1c. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] frameeOE goodeOE mightyOE vailanta1325 sicker1338 mightful1340 suffisant1340 virtuousa1387 effectivea1398 effectuala1398 worthya1398 availingc1420 effectuous?a1425 operant?a1425 substantialc1449 virtual?a1475 substantious1483 available1502 efficacious1528 energial1528 working1532 operatory1551 operatoriousa1555 stately1567 feckful1568 efficace?1572 shifty1585 operative1590 instrumental1601 efficable1607 speeding1612 effectuating1615 officious1618 availsome1619 prevailable1624 valid1651 perficient1659 affectuous1664 implemental1676 virtual1760 efficient1787 sufficient1831 slick1833 roadworthy1837 practician1863 positive1903 performant1977 1601 J. Chamber Astronomiae Encomium 36 in Treat. against Iudicial Astrol. Neither is this knowledge & skill profitable or commodious onely, but also very instrumentall, and helpfull to our saluation. 1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet i. ii. 48 The head is not more natiue to the hart The hand more instrumentall to the mouth Then is the throne of Denmarke to thy father. View more context for this quotation 1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 26 How instrumental soever the Captain hath been, the General usually carries away the honour of the Action. 1674 in O. Airy Essex Papers (1890) I. 249 My Lord Conway & S^r Arth^r Forbese have bin instrumentall & usefull to me herein. 1709 J. Swift Project Advancem. Relig. 52 It would be very instrumental, to have a Law made. 1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. ii. 175 Those truths which are most instrumental in purifying the heart and reforming the life. c. In predicative use with in or to (in early use also with †infinitive or rarely †for or †of). Contributing to the accomplishment of a specified purpose or the realization of a specified result. Also (in later use): crucial or pivotal to the accomplishment of a specified purpose or result. ΚΠ 1616 J. Dyke D. Dyke's Two Treat.: Repentance & Christs Temptations i. xv. 139 In our sinnes wee are commonly instrumentall for Sathan to draw others into our sinnes with vs. True Repentance will make vs zealous to bee as instrumentall to bring others to God. 1650 Bp. J. Taylor Rule & Exercises Holy Living iv. §1. 234 Prayer, which is instrumental to every thing. 1669 S. Pepys Diary 28 Apr. (1976) IX. 536 My Lady Castlemayne is instrumental in this matter. 1669 J. Dryden Wild Gallant iv. i. 48 You have been instrumental I hear of my preferment. 1722 W. Sewel Hist. Quakers Pref. sig. a3^v I was prepared to be instrumental for such a Work as this. 1736 Bp. J. Butler Analogy of Relig. i. iii. 53 Instrumental in bringing about Revolutions. 1796 J. L. Towers Illustr. of Prophecy II. xx. 363 He who is instrumental in perpetuating a corrupt and wicked government, is also instrumental in unfitting his fellow-men for the felicity of the celestial mansions. 1873 J. A. Symonds Stud. Greek Poets i. 17 Zeal for greater rigour of thought was instrumental in developing a new vehicle of language in the creation of a prose style. 1881 J. Simon in Nature 18 Aug. 372/1 When the life of either man or brute is to be made merely instrumental to the establishment of a scientific truth. 1940 Times 30 Apr. 2/6 He had been instrumental in the formation of that council. 1995 S. Sharoni Gender & Israeli–Palestinian Conflict p. ix Her personal and professional dedication, limitless faith in me, and unconditional support were instrumental to the completion of this book. 2005 Village Voice (N.Y.) 13 July 7/4 The press might have been instrumental in bringing down another president. 2. Of a part of the body: that performs a special function; that is an organ. Also: of or relating to an organ. Cf. instrument n. 4. Now historical and rare.Quot. ?a1425 might be analysed as showing a noun (cf. quot. ?1541 at sense B. 1), but it seems more likely to show an inflected form of the adjective. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > system > [adjective] > organ > having function instrumental?a1425 organicalc1450 instrumentary1564 instrumentarian1649 functional1841 ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 8 (MED) Componed membrez..bene called forsoþ organic & instrumentalez [?c1425 Paris instrumentis; L. instrumentalia], for þai bene instrumentez of þe soule, as hand, face, hert, lyuer. ?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (Paris) (1971) 30 Þe forsaide instrumental membres beþ compownede of many þinges. 1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour iii. xxiii. sig. g.vi The sensis..be distributed in to dyuers instrumentall partes of the body: as sight in to the eyen: herynge to the eares: smellyng to the nose: [etc.]. 1539 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) i. f. 10 (table) Members instrumentall. The stomacke. The raynes. The bowelles. All the great synewes. 1578 J. Banister Hist. Man iv. f. 44 A Muscle..is an instrumentall part of the body. 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 340 I wish al Ferrers..to know the causes of all diseases, as wel in the parts similer, as instrumentall. 1668 W. Rowland tr. J. Feyens New Treat. Spirits & Wind vii. 20 The whole Abdomen or Panch swells by wind, as in a Tympany; and the Liver and Spleen are wonderfully stopt thereby..; and all these are instrumental diseases: therefore organical diseases are also from wind. 1726 T. Bisse Musick Delight of Sons of Men 8 The hand the instrumental organ to perform; the ear to receive, form and convey musick to the Soul. 1784 F. Sydenham Onomasticon Theologicum iii. xv. 200 The finer Members of the Body, instrumental to Sensation. 1850 Trans. Bombay Geogr. Soc. 1849–50 9 286 The term Kef is more particularly referable to miracles, where the hand is the instrumental member. 2001 J. G. Lennox in tr. Aristotle On Parts Animals 179 A case is made for the teleological priority of instrumental parts or ‘organs’ over uniform parts or ‘tissues’. 3. †a. Of the nature of a tool or instrument; resembling a tool or instrument in form or shape. Obsolete. ΚΠ ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 1 (MED) Instrumentez of Cyrurgiens..bene manyfolde, For..som bene medicinale, som bene instrumentale [?c1425 Paris Instrumentes] of yren. ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 86 (MED) Signez of fistulez ar y-taken of substantially cleuyng þingez, as of þat callose skyn & of þe instrumentale fourme of þe fistule [?c1425 Paris of þe schappe of a pype; L. a forma fistule instrumentalis]. a1500 (a1477) Black Bk. (Soc. of Antiquaries) in A. R. Myers Househ. Edward IV (1959) 126 No feez of plate nor syluer but hit be in this instrumental tooles perused by ocupacion. b. Carried out using a specialized tool, device, or instrument (instrument n. 1b, instrument n. 1c); of the nature of, relating to, or involving an instrument or instruments of this kind.Cf. instrumental error n. at Compounds. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > [adjective] instrumental1633 1633 tr. Math. Recreations lxxxxiv. 225 Get the sunnes distance by instrumentall observation from the zenith at noone. [No corresponding passage in the French original.] 1647 N. Nye Art of Gunnery ii. 47 The degree in the Circle, that was cut in the Circle of the Instrument, when you made your Instrumentall observation. 1726 P. Shaw New Pract. Physic II. 507 The instrumental method of delivery, except the cæsarian operation, is always death to the child, if he be not dead before. 1761 H. Pemberton in Philos. Trans. 1760 (Royal Soc.) 51 921 The instrumental construction proposed by Mr. Collins will very readily give the true latitude. 1830 J. F. W. Herschel Prelim. Disc. Study Nat. Philos. 125 We are obliged to have recourse to instrumental aids. 1876 Trans. Clin. Soc. 9 70 No instrumental treatment had taken place that day. 1928 Jrnl. Sci. Instruments 5 145 Most of the instrumental troubles with recording electrographs arise from defective insulation. 1969 Guardian 12 Aug. 2/8 The craft, launched on Friday, also took instrumental measurements of near-moon space. 2011 Internat. Jrnl. Amer. Linguistics 77 163 Stress placement was judged auditorily..and verified through instrumental analysis..by measuring pitch, amplitude, and duration. 4. a. Of music: performed on or with one or more musical instruments; spec. performed using only musical instruments, without vocals; composed to be performed in this way. Of a musician or group of musicians: that performs using only musical instruments. Opposed to vocal. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > [adjective] > instrumental instrumental1517 organical1521 1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) 2 Of musyke mundayne, humayne, & instrumentall. 1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxxviii. 75 They which..require the abrogation of instrumentall musique. 1637 State Imperiall-court in tr. Particular State Govt. of Ferdinand II sig. I2^v One Master of the Court-chappell. Two Organists. Twenty Instrumental Musicians. c1660 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1641 (1955) II. 67 His three Daughters, entertain'd us with rare Musique, both Vocal & Instrumental. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 686 With Heav'nly touch of instrumental sounds In full harmonic number joind. View more context for this quotation 1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 405. ¶8 Vocal and Instrumental Musick were made use of in their Religious Worship. 1774 Gentleman's Mag. June 263/2 The harmonious sound from the instrumental band,..being conveyed to the company through the orange plantation and shrubbery, created a most happy and pleasing effect. 1839 Spectator 13 Apr. 340/2 It has been justly remarked of Spohr, that ‘his violin sings’; the highest compliment that an instrumental performer can receive. 1891 Times 8 Oct. 7/4 When these alone sing, the balance is better kept by omitting the instrumental parts. 1948 R. M. Myers Handel's Messiah vi. 254 Never were the charms of vocal and instrumental music more happily united. 1999 N.Y. Times 4 Nov. e5/6 The program's musical charms included an instrumental ensemble featuring balalaikas and accordions. 2012 Time Out N.Y. 12 July 69/4 Alarm Will Sound performs John Cage's Song Books, a daring collection of electronic music, theater tidbits, songs and instrumental pieces. b. Of or relating to a musical instrument; of the nature of a musical instrument; (now chiefly) reminiscent of the sound produced by a musical instrument. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > [adjective] organly1435 organica1631 instrumental1655 organic1786 digital1970 1655 I. Walton Compl. Angler (ed. 2) i. 15 The Nightingale..breathes such sweet lowd musick out of her little instrumental throat. 1702 E. Bysshe Art Eng. Poetry 20 The Powers militant That stood for Heav'n..mov'd on..to the Sound of instrumental Harmony. a1822 P. B. Shelley To Constantia Singing in Posthumous Poems (1824) 143 The blood and life within those snowy fingers Teach witchcraft to the instrumental strings. 1891 Funny Folks 26 Dec. 8/4 Floating on the wind, from the windows of the palace, came the sounds produced by combined vocal c'ords [sic] and instrumental strings. 1963 Times 18 July 14/2 The firm, almost instrumental quality of line shown by the soloists in the Gloria..gave a clear idea of what was wanted. 2004 W. Keil in Music & Lit. in German Romanticism x. 154 Antonie's voice is instrumental in quality, sounding like the Aeolian harp and the organ. 5. Law. Of or relating to a legal instrument, such as a contract or deed (see instrument n. 2a). Chiefly in instrumental witness n. a witness to a legal instrument. Now rare.Cf. the more common instrumentary adj. 3. ΘΚΠ society > law > legal document > [adjective] above-recited1534 instrumental1790 documental1825 documentary1827 1790 A. J. Dallas Rep. Cases Pennsylvania 1 209 Instrumental witnesses are always called upon. 1839 E. Cowen & N. Hill Notes Phillipps' Treat. Law of Evid. II. 1438 In respect to this species of instrumental evidence,..a mere receipt is not regarded as the exclusive expositor of the intent of the party. 1879 Galveston (Texas) News 25 Apr. Unless there are instrumental witnesses present when the declaration of sale is made before the notary, the instrument is not a complete and perfect public instrument. 1963 Virginia Law Rev. 49 1014 The law had placed it [sc. the state] in the position of a normal party calling an instrumental witness. 2015 Manila Times (Nexis) 14 Oct. The will must be signed on the left margin of each and every page..by the testator..as well as the instrumental witnesses. 6. Grammar and Linguistics. a. instrumental case n. Grammar (in Sanskrit, Slavonic languages, and some other inflected languages) a case of nouns and pronouns, and of words in grammatical agreement with them, the typical function of which is to express the means or instrument with which something is done.In 19th-cent. grammars of Sanskrit this case is also designated as causative or implementive. Compare e.g.: 1848 H. Welsford Mithridates Minor 105 Sanskrit Nouns..have eight cases... The third may be denominated the Implementive Case, having the force of the sign by, or with. With reference to other inflected languages where another case is used to express means, also called ablative of (the) instrument (in e.g. Latin), instrumental dative (in e.g. ancient and Hellenistic Greek and Old English), etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > case > [adjective] > other spec. polyptote1656 instrumental case1801 allative1831 adessive1852 abessive1854 instructive1857 caritive1860 comitative1860 juxtapositive1880 similative1884 illative1890 translative1890 introessive1903 perlative1937 lative1939 patient1939 ergative1943 elative1951 non-objective1954 superessive1971 1801 W. Carey Gram. Bengalee Lang. 92 Verbs which express the performance of an action by means of an instrument, govern the instrumental case. 1813 W. Taylor in Monthly Rev. 71 476 Several Slavonian dialects..have seven cases, the six cases of the Latins, and an instrumental case. 1877 Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1876–7 16 325 The two first sentences give us a locative case in -ak, the two latter an instrumental case in -ok. 1935 Anthropos 30 518 Words denoting rational beings are not generally used in the instrumental case. 1955 J. W. Perry in W. N. Locke & A. D. Booth Machine Transl. Langs. xi. 181 Problems are to be anticipated in..the interpretation of the various uses of the genitive, dative, accusative, and instrumental cases. 2011 T. Wade Comprehensive Russ. Gram. (ed. 3) 121 A noun is placed in the instrumental case to denote that the object it represents is being used to perform a function. b. Linguistics. Expressing the means or instrument with which something is done. In Grammar: designating a word form, inflectional suffix, etc., in or denoting the instrumental case. ΚΠ 1820 W. Yates Gram. Sunscrit Lang. App. 420 Instrumental nouns, as [vaktra]..the mouth. 1876 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. vi. 99 In both [Greek and Latin]..we shall find remnants of both locative and instrumental forms. 1877 J. Peile Philol. iv. 76 An instrumental-compound, i.e. one the first part of which stands to the second in the relation of an instrumental case. 1935 PMLA 50 948 The instrumental ending of the masculine a-stems [in Old English]..was originally -i. 1995 Canad. Slavonic Papers 37 145 The meaning of -shchik has expanded to include both personal and instrumental nouns. 2007 Harvard Ukrainian Stud. 29 247 The chronicle used Church Slavonic as an emphatic stylistic device.., e.g., mnozy smertiju umroša ‘many died (by a death)’.., an archaic instrumental construction with an aorist form. 7. Psychology. Involving the modification of behaviour by the reinforcing or inhibiting effect of its own consequences; = operant adj. 2. Frequently in instrumental conditioning. Contrasted with respondent adj. 4b. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > psychology > experimental psychology > conditioning > [adjective] > from particular response instrumental1940 1940 E. R. Hilgard & D. G. Marquis Conditioning & Learning iii. 51 When the occurrence of the reinforcement is contingent upon the organism's behavior the procedure may be termed instrumental conditioning. 1940 E. R. Hilgard & D. G. Marquis Conditioning & Learning iii. 52 As a reference experiment for instrumental reward training we may select a study by Grindley. 1972 New Yorker 26 Aug. 32/1 Edward L. Thorndike..is credited with the first rigorous investigation of trial-and-error, or instrumental, learning. 2008 U. Frith Autism: Very Short Introd. vi. 103 The response was impenetrably rigid. To me this suggests simple association learning or instrumental conditioning. B. n. †1. An organ or other part of the body that performs a special function; = instrument n. 4. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > system > [noun] > organ instrumenta1398 organ?a1425 instrumental?1541 organon1583 organum1614 corpus1706 apparatus1718 ?1541 R. Copland Guy de Chauliac's Questyonary Cyrurgyens ii. sig. Cij As to the seconde questyon that asketh why they [sc. the membres compostes] be called organykes & instrumentalles [Fr. instrumentaulx]. 1564 P. Moore Hope of Health i. iv. 7 Some other partes in the body be called..instrumentalles and vnlyke partes. †2. A person or thing used to bring about a result or accomplish a purpose; an instrument (instrument n. 3), a means. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [noun] > (a) means keyOE toolc1000 wherewithc1230 ministerc1380 meanc1390 instrumenta1425 organ?a1425 mesne1447 moyen1449 handlec1450 hackneya1500 receipta1500 operative1526 ingine1531 appliance1555 agent1579 matter1580 mids1581 wedge1581 wherewithal1583 shoeing-horn1587 engine1589 instrumental1598 Roaring Meg1598 procurement1601 organy1605 vehicle1615 vehiculuma1617 executioner1646 facility1652 operatory1660 instrumentality1663 expedient1665 agency1684 bladea1713 mechanic1924 mechanism1924 1598 A. M. tr. J. Guillemeau Frenche Chirurg. Pref. sig. a To represent..not onlye the materialle, and formalle principles, wherof..mans bodye, is created,..but the Instrumentalles, throughe the which we as by such meanes mayntayne the same in his naturall healthe. 1605 F. Bacon Of Aduancem. Learning ii. sig. Aa4 Vnto the deepe, fruitefull, and operatiue studie of many Scyences..Bookes be not onely the Instrumentals . View more context for this quotation a1643 J. Spelman Case of Affaires (1644) 11 Through the concurrence of those that are the instrumentals of His restraint. 1713 J. Edwards Theologia Reformata I. i. 72 He [sc. God] is not necessitated to use the assistance of any Instrumentals. 1846 New Jerusalem Mag. July 445 Those things which at best are but instrumentals, and should, therefore, occupy only a subordinate place in the mind. 3. Music. a. (a) A piece or passage of music performed on or composed for musical instruments, esp. without vocals. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > piece of music > type of piece > [noun] > instrumental piece fanfarea1605 sonata1683 instrumental1700 song without words1838 canzona- 1700 T. Tryon Lett., Domestick & Foreign xxix. 166 You are to teach them [sc. Children] the time and length of each Note, by expressing them with the Voice and motion of the Foot, if it be Instrumentals. 1769 Private Lett. from Amer. in Eng. iv. 12 Every full moon they had a regular concert of vocals and instrumentals in the very public house we baited at. 1825 F. Franck Autobiogr. Sketch xiii. 48 In my uncle's repertory were six ‘suites’ of Christian Bach, which hitherto I had deemed the non plus ultra of the beautiful in instrumentals. 1899 Carlisle (Indiana) News 16 Oct. 1/3 Mrs. James McConnell also contributed to the program. Her instrumentals are always appreciated. 1940 Swing July 17/1 Bob Mersey's Blue Ink is another slightly Wham-like instrumental. 1972 Jazz & Blues Sept. 11/3 Fats' work falls into three main categories: medium-tempo vocal blues..; slow, dragging blues and quasi-blues; and ‘jump’ instrumentals, normally featuring the tenor [saxophone] of Herb Hardesty. 2006 DJ 8 Nov. 84/4 A hypnotic instrumental that will confound and delight. (b) In plural. The instrumental components of a piece of music. Frequently contrasted with vocals. ΚΠ 1931 Lincoln (Nebraska) Sunday Star 25 Jan. d8 (advt.) Both voice and instrumentals come in with all the warmth and charm of actual human presence of the artists themselves. 1974 Times 8 Apr. 7/5 The singing and instrumentals on ‘Life Ain't Easy’ and ‘Second Street and Broadway’..were winning. 1998 R. Mansfield Studio Basics ii. 38 Track as much as you can premixed and reserve soloing for key instrumentals, vocals, and sweetener. 2015 City Times (San Diego City Coll.) 8 Dec. in University Wire (Nexis) 1 The song..gradually builds up to a beautiful grand wall of layered vocals and instrumentals. b. A musician who plays an instrument, as opposed to a singer; = instrumentalist n. 1a. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > musician > instrumentalist > [noun] player?c1450 sounder1591 instrumentist1609 twire-pipea1625 tweedle-dee1725 tweedle-dum1725 instrumental1798 instrumentalist1814 tudeler1814 1798 Bell's Weekly Messenger 16 Sept. 294/3 Amongst the vocal performers were Banti and Harrison;..among the instrumentals were Cramer, Ashley, Dragonetti, Linley, &c. 1825 London Evening Chron. 15 Sept. The total number of performers was 15 principal vocals, 250 instrumentals, and 350 chorus singers. 1883 E. Lloyd Grumbleby Hall I. xxxiii. 479 A very congratulatory conversation ensued amongst the instrumentals, each of whom, delighted at his own share in the performance, predicted a still greater success in what was to follow. 1905 Rochester (Indiana) Republican 21 Dec. To compound his organization as a full concert band, Director Weil made a long and scrutinous search for instrumentals who would, in his judgment, conform in the highest degree to a perfectly concerted body. 1940 Defiance (Ohio) Crescent-News 30 Jan. 2/4 Some of the best instrumentals offered several selections led by Emerson J. Burroughs. 4. Grammar. a. Chiefly with the. The instrumental case. See sense A. 6a. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > case > [noun] > other specific cases ablativec1400 instrumental1801 prepositional1824 allative1854 adessive1855 sociative1859 comitative1860 terminative1865 abessive1869 common case1869 translative1869 instructive1879 essive1890 transitional case1890 superessive1895 prepositional case1897 similative1903 lative1939 perlative1953 elative1959 1801 W. Carey Gram. Bengalee Lang. 21 The cases of Bengalee nouns are seven: the Nominative, Accusative, Instrumental, Dative, Ablative, Possessive, and Locative. 1824 J. Heard Gram. Russ. Lang. §9 There are six cases in the Russian Language: the Nominative, the Accusative, the Genitive, the Dative, the Instrumental, the Prepositional. 1876 H. Sweet Anglo-Saxon Reader Introd. p. xlv Adjectives have the three genders of nouns, and the same cases, with the addition of the instrumental. 1944 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 64 190/2 In hieroglyphic Hittite, as in Latin, the ancient ablative seems to have assumed also the function of the instrumental. 2011 T. Wade Comprehensive Russ. Gram. (ed. 3) 124 The instrumental is also used to express similarity. b. A word in the instrumental case; a form which is the instrumental case of a word. ΚΠ 1846 H. C. Rawlinson Persian Cuneiform Inscription Behistun 212 Abish may possibly be the dative plural, as aibish would be the instrumental of the same number. 1846 M. Williams Elem. Gram. Sanscrit x. 192 In this sense many causals [i.e. causal verbs] take an instrumental. 1879 W. D. Whitney Sanskrit Gram. iv. 84 The construction of a passive verb (or participle) with an instrumental of the agent is common. 1910 H. H. Bender Suffixes Mant & Vant in Sanskrit & Avestan i. ii. 57 The ā was, doubtless, inserted between stem and suffix thru analogy with the instrumentals sahasā and çavasā. 1952 Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 72 102/2 The instrumental is mäfyäčča ‘instrument in which one drinks’. 2001 Language 77 513 Serbo-Croatian nouns in oblique case forms (instrumentals and datives) elicit longer response times in visual lexical-decision tasks than nominative forms. Compounds instrumental break n. Music a section of a song performed using only musical instruments, as an interval between vocal sections. ΚΠ 1925 C. F. A. Williams Rhythm of Song i. 7 When there are more than three stanzas we do not want the poem to be hung up by too long instrumental breaks. 1968 Melody Maker 12 Oct. 8/3 It was a wild finish to a pounding set that included Mose Allison's ‘Young Man Blues’, with a scorching instrumental break. 2014 Candy Sept. 90/2 Dancers came out to strut their stuff during the instrumental breaks in a song. instrumental error n. a persistent or recurring error in measurement arising from imperfect instrumentation. ΚΠ 1797 S. Vince Compl. Syst. Astron. I. 316 The aberration is the difference between the true place and that measured by the instrument, or the instrumental error. 1833 J. F. W. Herschel Astronomy ii. 72 Such inquiries constitute the theory of instrumental errors. 1981 P. van de Kamp Stellar Paths i. 1 The observations are corrected for atmospheric refraction and instrumental errors. 2012 States News Service (Nexis) 24 Oct. The satellite readings also showed ozone levels so low the team thought it might be instrumental error. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.n.a1398
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