Illustration of accordion
accordion
1 of 2noun
ac·cor·di·on ə-ˈkȯr-dē-ən 
: a portable keyboard wind instrument in which the wind is forced past free reeds by means of a hand-operated bellows
accordionist
ə-ˈkȯr-dē-ə-nist
noun accordion
2 of 2adjective
: folding or creased or hinged to fold like an accordion
an accordion pleat
an accordion door
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
New York Times, 13 May 2022 Keep flipping and folding, making an accordion shape. Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, 24 Aug. 2022 The film may be the first in history where a character pleasures themself with an accordion. John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Aug. 2022 Another shows them on a bridge in uniform exuberantly gathered as a man plays the accordion. Charles Mcnulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 On Sunday, July 24, Finnish Music & Folk Dancing with Bernie Nowak on accordion will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 Lyrics and performance by Sarah Walsh, Rockville, Md.; Jonathan Jensen on accordion. Pat Myers, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 The film’s latest advertisement, meanwhile, shows the Harry Potter star with his back to the viewer, trusty accordion under his arm and ready to take on the bright lights of Hollywood. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 July 2022 Even the accordion filler fits and looks perfectly. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 21 July 2022 See More
Noun
Perfectly framed by the teak and concrete buildings created by Louis Kahn in the mid-1960s that accordion out around a central plaza, reflected in the ocean where the cliffs drop off into air, the sun presided over the show like a benign monarch. New York Times, 13 May 2022 Keep flipping and folding, making an accordion shape. Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, 24 Aug. 2022 The film may be the first in history where a character pleasures themself with an accordion. John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Aug. 2022 Another shows them on a bridge in uniform exuberantly gathered as a man plays the accordion. Charles Mcnulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 On Sunday, July 24, Finnish Music & Folk Dancing with Bernie Nowak on accordion will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 Lyrics and performance by Sarah Walsh, Rockville, Md.; Jonathan Jensen on accordion. Pat Myers, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 The film’s latest advertisement, meanwhile, shows the Harry Potter star with his back to the viewer, trusty accordion under his arm and ready to take on the bright lights of Hollywood. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 27 July 2022 Even the accordion filler fits and looks perfectly. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 21 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
borrowed from German Accordion (now Akkordeon), from Accord (now Akkord) "chord" (borrowed from French accord "chord, harmony, accord entry 2") + -ion (as in Melodion, an earlier keyboard instrument, from Melodie melody + -on, probably the Greek neuter noun ending)
Adjective
derivative of accordion entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
1830, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1852, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing accordion
Kids Definition
accordion
noun
ac·cor·di·on ə-ˈkȯr-dē-ən
: a portable keyboard musical instrument played by forcing air from a bellows past metal reeds