musical sawn.
/ˌmjuːzᵻkl ˈsɔː/, U.S. /ˈˌmjuzək(ə)l ˈsɔ/, /ˈˌmjuzək(ə)l ˈsɑ/ A handsaw played with a bow like a stringed instrument, typically with the tip of the blade held in the player's hand and the handle between the knees, the pitch and quality of the sound being controlled by the degree of bending of the blade.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > other musical instruments > [noun] > bowed saw, etc.
nail violin1884
musical saw1927
saw1931
1927 Melody Maker Aug. 773/2 In the combination are two performers on musical saw, which novelty, says Mr. Haggleton, always goes down well with his audience.
1946 R. Blesh Shining Trumpets (1949) v. 104 Exotic instruments may be utilized as well, such as harmonica, kazoo, jug, washboard, wood blocks and musical saw.
1958 A. Jacobs New Dict. Music 231 Mayuzumi..has written..music..including..‘Tonepleromas 55’ for wind and percussion instruments and musical saw.
1973 J. Wainwright Devil you Don't 22 Rawlings will have you warbling La Traviata, backwards..with musical saw accompaniment.
1994 H. Burton Leonard Bernstein ii. xx. 194 Included in its exotic orchestration was an Ondes Martenot, an electronic keyboard instrument whose sound resembled the wailings of an old-fashioned musical saw.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1927