Reverse Dictionary: MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

ADJECTIVES
► ORGANIC pert. to musical instruments; instrumental → 1811 obs.
► ORGANICAL performed on an instrument, instrumental → 1521 obs.

NOUNS
► AFRICAN HARP a banjo → 1930s US sl.
► AGONY BOX 1. a piano → 1900s US sl.
2. a ukulele → 2000s sl.
► AGONY PIPE a clarinet → 1930s US sl.
► AIR GUITAR an imaginary instrument played by would-be guitar heroes → sl.
► AIREL a flute; properly applied to a pipe made from a reed → 1898 Sc. obs. (Bk.)
► AX ► AXE a musical instrument, esp. an electric guitar; orig. used in jazz circles for any instrument, particularly a saxophone or trumpet, instruments on which ‘chops’ (musical figures) are played → 1955 US jazz sl.
► BAGS bagpipes → c1275 poetic usage, obs.
► BANGER ► BANJA ► BANJER ► BUNGER a banjo → 1905 Amer. dial.
► BANJOLIN a musical instrument combining the characteristics of the banjo and mandolin, used in ragtime music → 1889
► BANJULELE a stringed musical instrument of a type between a banjo and a ukulele → 1925
► BELLY FIDDLE a guitar → 20C African-American sl.
► BEME a trumpet → a800 obs.
► BIFF an unsuccessfully played high note on a brass instrument → 1975 US musicians’ usage (Bk.)
► BO a piano → 1908 Amer. sl.
► BONE a trombone → 1918 US sl.
► BOSH a fiddle → 1859 sl.
► BOX an accordion or concertina → 1980 Amer. sl.
► BOX 1. a guitar → 1911 Amer. sl.
2. a banjo → 1936 Amer. sl.
► BREATH HARP a harmonica → 1946 Amer. dial.
► CORN-ON-THE-COB a harmonica → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► DAGO’S PIANO an accordion → 20C US sl.
► DEVIL’S MUSIC BOX the fiddle → 1949 Amer. dial.
► FAGOTTO a bassoon → 1724
► FIDDLE-BOX a fiddle, a violin → 1928 Amer. dial.
► GOBSTICK a clarinet → sl.
► GRUNT HORN a tuba → 1926 US sl.
► GRUNT IRON a tuba → 1935 US sl.
► GUTBUCKET a washtub bass → 1964 Amer. sl.
► HARKAUDIENCE an accordion → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HARMONIA a harmonica → 1973 Amer. dial.
► HARMONIC a harmonica → 1966 Amer. dial.
► HARMONICUM a harmonica → 1916 Amer. dial.
► HARMONISTER a harmonica → 1966 Amer. dial.
► HARP a harmonica → 1887 Amer. dial.
► HARPING-GLEE harp music → a1300 obs.
► HARPSICAL a corrupt version of ‘harpsichord’ → 1616 obs.
► HARPSICON a corrupt version of ‘harpsichord’ → 1633 obs.
► HAUTBOY ► HOBOY an oboe → 1575
► HAWBOY an oboe → 1889 Eng. dial.
► HEWGAG a toy musical instrument, in which a piece of parchment, etc., is vibrated by blowing → M19 US
► HUMPENSCRUMP a musical instrument of rude construction; a hurdy-gurdy → a1916
► HUMSTRUM a musical instrument of rude construction or out of tune → 1739
► LAP ORGAN an accordion → 1892 Amer. dial.
► LICORICE STICK a clarinet → 1935 US jazz sl.
► LIQUORICE STICK a clarinet → c1945 Brit. sl.
► MACHINE a trumpet → 1983 UK sl.
► MARROWBONES castanets, bones; performers on the castanets → 1893 Eng. dial.
► MOUTH STEINWAY a harmonica → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► MUSICAL a musical instrument → a1450 obs.
► MUSIC-DUFFING the reconditioning of musical instruments → 1923 sl.
► NACKER a drum → 1903 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► ORGAN various musical instruments, esp. wind instruments → c1000 obs.
► ORGANOGRAPHY a description of instruments → 1559 obs.
► ORGANY an organ; a musical instrument → 1377 obs.
► PONTICELLO  the bridge of a stringed instrument → 1740
► RIBIBE a stringed instrument like a rebeck or guitar → c1425 obs.
► SAWBOX a cello → 1930s sl., orig. African-American
► SAX a saxophone → 1920s sl.
► SAXA a saxophone → 1930s Aust. sl.
► SAY-CORDI BOX a guitar; ‘six-cord box’ → 1940s sl.
► SINEW a string in a musical instrument → 1591 obs.
► SKINS drums → 1926 UK sl.
► SLOP a saxophone (because of the saliva that collects in it) → 1940s African-American sl.
► SLUSH PUMP a trombone (because of the spittle that tends to collect in the slide) → 1930s US sl.
► SMALL PIPE an alto saxophone → 1940s African-American sl.
► TAMBERBASE ► TAMBER DE BASE ► TAMBOURBASQUE ► TAMBOUR DE BASQUE a tambourine → 1688
► TAMBOUR a drum; the bass drum → 1484
► TAMBOURET a small drum → 1776 obs.
► TEETH ORGAN a harmonica → 1966 Amer. dial.
► TIMBREL a musical instrument of percussion; a tambourine or the like that could be help up in the hand → 1500-20
► TIMP a tambourine → c1205 obs.
► TING-A-LING in music: a triangle → 1941 Amer. dial.
► TOOTLE-TE-TOOTLE a piece of continuous tootling, the sound made by blowing a horn or other wind instrument → 1855
► TRAPS drums and other items of percussion collectively → 1903 US musicians’ sl.
► TWANGDILLO the twanging of a stringed musical instrument → 1762 obs.
► UKE a ukulele → 1915 sl., orig. US
► WAITS wind instruments, either hautboys (oboes), flutes, or shawms (forerunner of the oboe) → 1530 obs.
► WOBBLE BOARD a simple musical instrument made of a sheet of still material that is wobbled rhythmically → 1957 Aust. sl.
► WOODPILE a xylophone → 1945 US sl.

NOUNS – PERSON
► AXMAN a guitarist → 1970s sl., orig. African-American
► BORER a drummer → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► BOSHMEN fiddlers, or musicians in general → 1890 sl. (Bk.)
► BOX-BEATER a piano player → 1915 Amer. sl.
► CALAMIS a person who plays upon a reed; a piper → 1656 obs.
► ELBOW BENDER a violinist → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► FAGOTTIST a performer on the bassoon → 1886
► FIDDLESTER a violinist → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GIGOUR a fiddler → a1300 obs.
► GIT-BOXER a guitar player → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GIT-FIDDLER a guitar player → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GITTER PLINKER a guitar player → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► LICORICE-STICKER a person who plays the clarinet → 1935 US jazz sl.
► MARROW-BONES performers on the castanets → 1893 Eng. dial.
► MUSICAL MOKE a Black minstrel who plays a number of different instruments in succession → 1895 Amer. sl.
► PLINK-PLONKER a guitar player → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► PLUNKER BOY a guitar player  → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► PRETZEL BENDER a person who plays the French horn → 1936 jazz sl.
► ROSIN SNIFFER a violinist → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► SATCHEL a jazz musician who plays a wind instrument → c1935 Amer. sl. 
► SCRAPER a violinist → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► SKIN BEATER a drummer → 1947 US sl.
► SKINSMAN a drummer → 1983 UK sl.
► SQUEAKER a violinist → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► TIMBESTER a female performer on the ‘timbrel’ (see nouns) → a1366
► TIMBRELLER a performer on the ‘timbrel’ (see nouns) → 1833
► TIMBRER a timbrel-player (see nouns) → c1425 obs.
► WAITS a small body of wind instrumentalists maintained by a city or town at the public charge; they played for the daily diversion of the councillors, on ceremonial and festive occasions, and as a town or city band they entertained the citizens, walking the streets, often by night or in the early morning → 1298 obs.
► WINDJAMMER a trumpeter; a musician who plays a wind instrument → World War I Amer. sl.

VERBS
► BEME to blow on a trumpet → c1000 obs.
► JUMBLE to play discordantly or noisily on an instrument, to strum → 1530 obs.
► PLONK to play a musical instrument or piece of music heavily or amateurishly → 1891 colloq.
► THARM to play on a stringed instrument → 1863 Sc.
► THRUM 1. to play on a stringed instrument, as a guitar, harp, etc., by plucking the strings; to play a stringed instrument in an idle or unskilful way; to strum → 1592
2. to drum, to make a drumming noise → 1865 Sc.
► THRUMBLE to play on a stringed instrument, as a guitar or harp, by plucking the strings; to strum → 1685 obs.
► TIMBRE to play on the ‘timbrel’ (see nouns) → c1400 obs.
► TIMBREL to play upon a ‘timbrel’ (see nouns); to accompany with a ‘timbrel’ or similar instrument → 1629
► TIRL to pluck at the strings of a harp or the like so as to cause them to sound → c1470 obs.
► TOOTLE-TOO to produce a succession of modulated notes on a wind instrument → 1857
► TWANG  to give forth a ringing note, as a stringed instrument when plucked → 1570
► TWANGLE  to play upon a musical instrument in a petty or trifling manner; to twang a stringed instrument lightly → 1607
► TWEEDLE to produce a succession of shrill modulated sounds on a musical instrument; to play triflingly or careless upon an instrument → 1684
► TWEEDLE-DEE to play or sing in a high-pitched tone → 1837
► TWEETLE to play triflingly or carelessly upon an instrument; to produce a succession of shrill modulated sounds on a musical instrument → 1912 obs.
► TWIDDLE to play triflingly on an instrument → 1863
► TWINKLE of a musical instrument, bell, etc.: to make a series of sharp light ringing sounds on being struck → a1300
► TWITCH to pluck the string of a musical instrument → 1669 obs.
► VAMP to play on a musical instrument → 1851 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► WARBLE 1. to manipulate the strings of a musical instrument in playing → 1578 obs.
2. to give forth melodious sounds; said of a stringed instrument → 1620