instrument

instrument

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of instrument in English

English Online Dictionary. What means instrument‎? What does instrument mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum (“an implement, tool”), From īnstruō (“build, construct; arrange”) +‎ -mentum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪnstɹəmənt/, /ˈɪnstɹʊmənt/
  • Hyphenation: in‧stru‧ment

Noun

instrument (plural instruments)

  1. A device used to produce music.
  2. A means or agency for achieving an effect.
  3. A measuring or displaying device.
  4. A tool, implement used for manipulation or measurement.
    1. (aviation, usually in the plural) Ellipsis of flight instrument.
  5. (law) A legal document, such as a contract, deed, trust, mortgage, power, indenture, or will.
  6. (figuratively) A person used as a mere tool for achieving a goal.

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:instrument

Derived terms

Related terms

  • instrumental

Translations

Verb

instrument (third-person singular simple present instruments, present participle instrumenting, simple past and past participle instrumented)

  1. (transitive) To apply measuring devices.
  2. (transitive) To devise, conceive, cook up, plan.
  3. To perform upon an instrument; to prepare for an instrument.

Synonyms

  • (to apply measuring devices): measure, supervise
  • (to devise, conceive):
  • (to perform on an instrument): play
  • (to prepare for an instrument): arrange

Anagrams

  • nutriments

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin īnstrūmentum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central) [ins.tɾuˈmen]
  • IPA(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ins.tɾuˈment]

Noun

instrument m (plural instruments)

  1. instrument (clarification of this definition is needed)

Derived terms

Related terms

  • instrumental
  • instrumentar

Further reading

  • “instrument” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
  • “instrument”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
  • “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

Noun

instrument n (singular definite instrumentet, plural indefinite instrumenter)

  1. instrument
  2. (music) musical instrument
    Synonym: musikinstrument

Declension

Further reading

  • “instrument” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌɪn.stryˈmɛnt/
  • Hyphenation: in‧stru‧ment
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

instrument n (plural instrumenten, diminutive instrumentje n)

  1. instrument
  2. (music) musical instrument
    Synonyms: muziekinstrument, speeltuig

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Indonesian: instrumen

French

Etymology

From Middle French instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃s.tʁy.mɑ̃/

Noun

instrument m (plural instruments)

  1. instrument (means or agency for achieving an effect)
    Near-synonym: outil
    nom d’instrument ― nomen instrumenti
    instrument de musique ― musical instrument
  2. (figuratively, literary) instrument (person used as a mere tool for achieving a goal)
  3. Ellipsis of instrument de musique (“musical instrument”).
    instrument à cordes ― string instrument
    instrument à vent ― wind instrument
    instrument à percussion ― percussion instrument

Derived terms

  • instrumentiste

Related terms

  • instrumental

Further reading

  • “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

Alternative forms

  • enstrement, instreument, jnstrument, ynstrument

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French instrument, from Latin instrūmentum (“tool, device”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /instriu̯ˈmɛnt/, /instruˈmɛnt/, /ˈinstriu̯mɛnt/, /ˈinstrumɛnt/

Noun

instrument (plural instrumentes)

  1. A tool or device used for manipulation, especially for medical and scientific uses.
  2. A device used to produce music; a musical instrument.
  3. A piece of weaponry (such as a siege engine).
  4. A legal document, such as a contract, deed or will.
  5. The means by which one reaches an end or effect.
  6. A body part that performs a certain function; an organ.
  7. The human body as a whole.
  8. One of the five senses.

Synonyms

  • (music): organe; organum; simphane; symphonye

Related terms

  • instrumental

Descendants

  • English: instrument

References

Middle French

Noun

instrument m (plural instrumens)

  1. (musical) instrument
  2. instrument (device, often mechanical)

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

instrument n (definite singular instrumentet, indefinite plural instrument or instrumenter, definite plural instrumenta or instrumentene)

  1. an instrument

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

instrument n (definite singular instrumentet, indefinite plural instrument, definite plural instrumenta)

  1. an instrument

Derived terms

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin īnstrūmentum.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /inˈstru.mɛnt/
  • Rhymes: -umɛnt
  • Syllabification: in‧stru‧ment

Noun

instrument m inan

  1. instrument

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

  • instrument in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • instrument in Polish dictionaries at PWN
  • instrument in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French instrument, from Latin instrumentum.

Pronunciation

Noun

instrument n (plural instrumente)

  1. instrument

Declension

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

instrument n

  1. an instrument (of music, for measurement, method, tool, or financial contract), a device

Declension

Derived terms

  • blåsinstrument
  • instrumentalist
  • instrumentbräda
  • instrumentell
  • instrumentera
  • instrumentmakare
  • instrumentpanel
  • stråkinstrument
  • stränginstrument

Related terms

  • instrumentera
  • instrumentering
  • instrumentation

References

  • instrument in Svensk ordbok (SO)
  • instrument in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
  • instrument in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Zoogocho Zapotec

Alternative forms

  • stroment

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish instrumento.

Noun

instrument

  1. musical instrument

References

  • 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)‎[3] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 236

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Related Words

instruments

instrumentation

instrumental

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.