Orchestrinas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small keyboard instruments designed to imitate the sounds of entire orchestras ; mechanical or reed-based devices used to reproduce orchestral effects
2. Compact musical instruments that mimic orchestral timbres ; keyboard-based machines or devices for simulating a full ensemble's sound
3. Early mechanical or reed organs engineered to reproduce the variety of an orchestra's instruments ; devices operated by keyboard to generate orchestral-like music

Etymology: "Orchestrinas" is the plural of "orchestrina," a mechanical music machine that plays music automatically. The singular is built on "orchestra," which comes from Greek "orkhēstra," the level space in front of the stage in ancient theatres where the chorus danced and sang. The ending "-ina" is a diminutive-style suffix, so the name suggests a smaller version of an orchestra. Each orchestrina reproduces the sound of a band from a single cabinet.