barrel organ
noun
a musical instrument in which air from a bellows is admitted to a set of pipes by means of pins inserted into a revolving barrel; hand organ.
Origin of barrel organ
First recorded in 1765–75
Words nearby barrel organ
barrel chest,
barrel cuff,
barrel distortion,
barrel engine,
barrel knot,
barrel organ,
barrel race,
barrel roll,
barrel roof,
barrel vault,
barrel-ass
Example sentences from the Web for barrel organ
British Dictionary definitions for barrel organ
barrel organ
noun
an instrument consisting of a cylinder turned by a handle and having pins on it that interrupt the air flow to certain pipes, thereby playing any of a number of tunes
See also hurdy-gurdy
a similar instrument in which the projections on a rotating barrel pluck a set of strings