harmonica
8 synonyms for harmonica, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small handheld wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air across a row of metal reeds.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use harmonica
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
play the harmonica
blues harmonica
harmonica solo
Etymology
Named by Benjamin Franklin, who coined "harmonica" for his glass instrument (played by rubbing wet fingers on glass bowls) decades before the small blown instrument borrowed the same name.
Full origin of harmonica →Frequently asked questions
What does “harmonica” mean?
The word “harmonica” means a small handheld wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air across a row of metal reeds. In plain terms, the small mouth-blown instrument also called a "mouth organ" or "harp" in blues slang.
How do you pronounce “harmonica”?
“Harmonica” is pronounced hahr-MO-nih-kuh (/ˌhɑɹˈmɑ.nɪ.kə/ in IPA).
How do you use “harmonica” in a sentence?
Here is “harmonica” used in a sentence: “He pulled out a harmonica and played a soulful blues riff.”
What is another word for “harmonica”?
Words with a similar meaning to “harmonica” include French harp, gob iron, harmonicon, Mississippi sax, mouth harp and mouth organ.
What part of speech is “harmonica”?
“Harmonica” is a noun.
