instrument
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum (“an implement, tool”), From īnstruō (“build, construct; arrange”) + -mentum.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument (plural instruments)
- A device used to produce music.
- The violinist was a master of her instrument.
- 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh], “In the Fleete Made by Me William Cornishe otherwise Called Nyshwhete Chapelman with the Most Famose and Noble Kyng Henry the VII. His Reygne the XIX. Yere the Moneth of July. A Treatise betwene Trouth, and Information.”, in John Skelton, edited by J[ohn] S[tow], Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate, Imprinted at London: In Fletestreate, neare vnto St Dunstan-in-the-West by Thomas Marshe, →OCLC; republished as Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate to King Henry the VIIIth, London: Printed for C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, 1736, →OCLC, page 290:
- The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunying of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge
- A means or agency for achieving an effect.
- 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, in The Tremarn Case[2]:
- “There the cause of death was soon ascertained ; the victim of this daring outrage had been stabbed to death from ear to ear with a long, sharp instrument, in shape like an antique stiletto, which [...] was subsequently found under the cushions of the hansom. [...]”
- 1963 January 11, “The World”, in Time[3], volume LXXXI, number 2, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 32, column 3:
- On the rocky island of Tungyin, 50 miles off the coast of Red China, is the headquarters of a little-known military unit called the Anti-Communist Salvation Army. The secret army, 30,000 strong, is Chiang Kai-shek's instrument for the long-promised return to the mainland.
- A measuring or displaying device.
- The instrument detected an increase in radioactivity.
- A tool, implement used for manipulation or measurement.
- The dentist set down his tray of instruments.
- The scientist recorded the temperature with a thermometer, but wished he had a more accurate instrument.
- (aviation, usually in the plural) Ellipsis of flight instrument.
- Flight within clouds must be made by reference to your instruments.
- (law) A legal document, such as a contract, deed, trust, mortgage, power, indenture, or will.
- A bond indenture is the instrument that gives a bond its value.
- Negotiable instruments are the foundation of the debt markets.
- (figurative) A person used as a mere tool for achieving a goal.
- c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
- Or useful serving man and instrument, / To any sovereign state.
- 1670, John Dryden, The Conquest of Granada:
- The bold are but the instruments o' the wise.
Synonyms[edit]
- See also Thesaurus:instrument
Derived terms[edit]
- absolute instrument
- block instrument
- blunt instrument
- brass instrument
- B♭ instrument
- cash instrument
- chosen instrument
- C instrument
- debt instrument
- derivative instrument
- E♭ instrument
- financial instrument
- F instrument
- flight instrument
- instrumental
- instrument approach
- instrumentation
- instrument flight rules
- instrument guidance system
- instrumentive
- instrument landing system
- instrument meteorological conditions
- instrument panel
- keyboard instrument
- Maisonneuve's instrument
- measuring instrument
- monetary instrument
- musical instrument
- negotiable instrument
- on instruments
- percussion instrument
- reed instrument
- statutory instrument
- stringed instrument
- string instrument
- transit instrument
- universal instrument
- wind instrument
- woodwind instrument
- writing instrument
Translations[edit]
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb[edit]
instrument (third-person singular simple present instruments, present participle instrumenting, simple past and past participle instrumented)
- (transitive) To apply measuring devices.
- an instrumented test article
- (transitive) To devise, conceive, cook up, plan.
- To perform upon an instrument; to prepare for an instrument.
- a sonata instrumented for orchestra
Synonyms[edit]
- (to apply measuring devices): measure, supervise
- (to devise, conceive):
- (to perform on an instrument): play
- (to prepare for an instrument): arrange
See also[edit]
Anagrams[edit]
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin īnstrūmentum.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument m (plural instruments)
- instrument (clarification of this definition is needed)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “instrument” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “instrument”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “instrument” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “instrument” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Danish[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument n (singular definite instrumentet, plural indefinite instrumenter)
- instrument
- (music) musical instrument
- Synonym: musikinstrument
Declension[edit]
neuter gender |
Singular | Plural | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | instrument | instrumentet | instrumenter | instrumenterne |
genitive | instruments | instrumentets | instrumenters | instrumenternes |
Further reading[edit]
Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle Dutch instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument n (plural instrumenten, diminutive instrumentje n)
- instrument
- (music) musical instrument
- Synonyms: muziekinstrument, speeltuig
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
- → Indonesian: instrumen
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle French instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument m (plural instruments)
- instrument (clarification of this definition is needed)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “instrument”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
- “instrument” in Dictionnaire Français en ligne Larousse.
- “instrument” in Émile Littré, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1872–1877.
Middle English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Old French instrument, from Latin instrūmentum (“tool, device”).[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument (plural instrumentes)
- A tool or device used for manipulation, especially for medical and scientific uses.
- A device used to produce music; a musical instrument.
- A piece of weaponry (such as a siege engine).
- A legal document, such as a contract, deed or will.
- The means by which one reaches an end or effect.
- A body part that performs a certain function; an organ.
- The human body as a whole.
- One of the five senses.
Synonyms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
- English: instrument
References[edit]
- ^ “instrū̆ment, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-02.
- ^ Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)[1], volume I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 13.78, page 385.
Middle French[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument m (plural instrumens)
- (musical) instrument
- instrument (device, often mechanical)
Norwegian Bokmål[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument n (definite singular instrumentet, indefinite plural instrument or instrumenter, definite plural instrumenta or instrumentene)
- an instrument
Derived terms[edit]
Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument n (definite singular instrumentet, indefinite plural instrument, definite plural instrumenta)
- an instrument
Derived terms[edit]
Polish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin īnstrūmentum ("an implement, tool").
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
instrument m inan
Declension[edit]
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | instrument | instrumenty |
genitive | instrumentu | instrumentów |
dative | instrumentowi | instrumentom |
accusative | instrument | instrumenty |
instrumental | instrumentem | instrumentami |
locative | instrumencie | instrumentach |
vocative | instrumencie | instrumenty |
Derived terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- instrument in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- instrument in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French instrument, from Latin instrumentum.
Noun[edit]
instrument n (plural instrumente)
Declension[edit]
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) instrument | instrumentul | (niște) instrumente | instrumentele |
genitive/dative | (unui) instrument | instrumentului | (unor) instrumente | instrumentelor |
vocative | instrumentule | instrumentelor |
Swedish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (file)
Noun[edit]
instrument n
- an instrument (of music, for measurement, method, tool, or financial contract), a device
Declension[edit]
Declension of instrument | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | instrument | instrumentet | instrument | instrumenten |
Genitive | instruments | instrumentets | instruments | instrumentens |
Derived terms[edit]
- blåsinstrument
- instrumentalist
- instrumentbräda
- instrumentell
- instrumentera
- instrumentmakare
- instrumentpanel
- stråkinstrument
- stränginstrument
Related terms[edit]
References[edit]
- instrument in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- instrument in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
- instrument in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
Zoogocho Zapotec[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Spanish instrumento.
Noun[edit]
instrument
References[edit]
- Long C., Rebecca; Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)[4] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 236
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Aviation
- English ellipses
- en:Law
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan 3-syllable words
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan nouns
- Catalan countable nouns
- Catalan masculine nouns
- Danish lemmas
- Danish nouns
- Danish neuter nouns
- da:Music
- Dutch terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Old French
- Dutch terms derived from Latin
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Dutch/ɛnt
- Rhymes:Dutch/ɛnt/3 syllables
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch nouns with plural in -en
- Dutch neuter nouns
- nl:Music
- French terms derived from Middle French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 3-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- Middle English terms borrowed from Old French
- Middle English terms derived from Old French
- Middle English terms derived from Latin
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- enm:Body
- enm:Directives
- enm:Law
- enm:Musical instruments
- enm:Organs
- enm:Senses
- enm:Tools
- enm:Weapons
- Middle French lemmas
- Middle French nouns
- Middle French masculine nouns
- Middle French countable nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål neuter nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk neuter nouns
- Polish terms derived from Latin
- Polish 3-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Polish/umɛnt
- Rhymes:Polish/umɛnt/3 syllables
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian nouns
- Romanian countable nouns
- Romanian neuter nouns
- Swedish terms with audio links
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish nouns
- Swedish neuter nouns
- Zoogocho Zapotec terms borrowed from Spanish
- Zoogocho Zapotec terms derived from Spanish
- Zoogocho Zapotec lemmas
- Zoogocho Zapotec nouns