Squeezeboxes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hand-held musical instrument with a keyboard or buttons on one end and a bellows that produces sound when squeezed and pulled
2. An accordion or comparable bellows-driven instrument played by pressing keys or buttons while expanding and contracting the air chamber
3. A portable musical device that generates tones through button or key presses combined with alternating compression and expansion of internal bellows

Etymology: "Squeezeboxes" is the plural of "squeezebox," an informal name for the accordion. The compound joins "squeeze" and "box," describing the instrument's basic action: the player squeezes the bellows, which forces air across metal reeds to produce sound. The plural takes "-es" because the singular ends in "x," following the usual English rule for words ending in that sound.

Synonyms: accordions