harmonicon
(hɑːˈmɒnɪkən)
[a. Gr. ἁρµονικόν, neut. sing. of ἁρµονικός harmonic.]
A name given to various musical instruments. a. = harmonica 1 a. b. = harmonica 1 b; also applied to instruments similarly constructed. c. A mouth-organ consisting of a row of free reeds arranged in a case so as to give different notes by expiration and inspiration. d. A kind of barrel-organ with a number of stops imitating various orchestral instruments; also called orchestrion. e. chemical harmonicon, an apparatus in which musical tones are produced by flames of hydrogen or other gas burning in glass tubes.
| 1825 Specif. F. H. Smith's Patent (U.S.) 7 Apr., Musical glasses, called the Grand harmonicon. 1842 Mechanic's Mag. XXXVII. 70 The pressure of the performer's finger..is the great charm of such instruments as the harmonicon [etc.]. 1864 Engel Mus. Anc. Nat. 11 Instruments consisting of a series of pieces of sonorous wood..made to vibrate by being beaten with a stick or hammer, like our harmonicon. 1875 Loewy & Foster tr. Weinhold's Introd. Exp. Phys. 374 As in the glass-harmonicon which consists of strips of glass affixed to cords at the nodal points. Ibid. 379 The apparatus..has been termed the chemical harmonicon. 1880 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. T., Harmonicon, a toy instrument which consists of free reeds inclosed in a box in such a way that inspiration produces one set of sounds, respiration another. 1885 Daily News 17 Aug. 6/1 (Stanf.) A very great curiosity is the rock harmonicon, or musical stones..‘reduced to music’ by Crosthwaite, of Keswick. |