concertina

C2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ˌkɑːnsərˈtiːnə/ UK /ˌkɒnsəˈtiːnə/ See IPA manual

Freq #51681

Meanings

1

noun
a small free-reed musical instrument with bellows between two end boards, played by pressing buttons while expanding and compressing it

She played a lively dance tune on the concertina.
2

noun
a portable barrier made from a coil of barbed or razor wire

The soldiers unrolled concertina across the road as a temporary barrier.
3

verb
to collapse, compress, or fold in alternating sections like the bellows of a concertina

The front of the car concertinaed under the force of the collision.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a small free-reed musical... squeezebox

2 noun · a portable barrier made... concertina wire

3 verb · to collapse, compress, or... collapse compress fold

Opposites

expand unfold

Word family

Derived forms concertinaedconcertinaingconcertina wire

Related forms accordionbellowsfree reed

Etymology

From Italian concertina, a feminine diminutive related to concerto ("concert"). The name was given to the compact bellows instrument developed in nineteenth-century Britain; its repeated folds later supplied the verb and the name concertina wire.

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# concertina

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌkɑːnsərˈtiːnə/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒnsəˈtiːnə/
**Frequency rank:** 51681

## Meanings
1. a small free-reed musical instrument with bellows between two end boards, played by pressing buttons while expanding and compressing it
2. a portable barrier made from a coil of barbed or razor wire
3. to collapse, compress, or fold in alternating sections like the bellows of a concertina

## Examples
- She played a lively dance tune on the concertina.
- The soldiers unrolled concertina across the road as a temporary barrier.
- The front of the car concertinaed under the force of the collision.

## Synonyms
- squeezebox
- concertina wire
- collapse
- compress
- fold

## Antonyms
- expand
- unfold

## Derived Forms
- concertinaed
- concertinaing
- concertina wire

## Related Forms
- accordion
- bellows
- free reed

## Etymology
From Italian concertina, a feminine diminutive related to concerto ("concert"). The name was given to the compact bellows instrument developed in nineteenth-century Britain; its repeated folds later supplied the verb and the name concertina wire.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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