noun
harmonica
hahr-MO-nih-kuh
noun
1
A small handheld wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air across a row of metal reeds.
"He pulled out a harmonica and played a soulful blues riff."
"The busker's harmonica echoed through the subway station."
How to Use Harmonica
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe small mouth-blown instrument also called a "mouth organ" or "harp" in blues slang.
Common pairings
play the harmonica
blues harmonica
harmonica solo
Word Forms
harmonicas plural
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He pulled out a _____ and played a soulful blues riff.
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.