Dictionary

melodeon en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /mɪˈləʊdɪən/ (UK)
• /məˈloʊdi.ən/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From French mélodium, with change of ending.

Meanings

1. (historical) A type of reed organ with a single keyboard.
   • The thin, nearsighted young woman who had been humped over the keyboard of the melodeon, straightened up. The worshipers relaxed a little and began to look about. 1909, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 5, in Keziah Coffin:
2. An accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys.
   • But Chae said it didn't matter, he'd bring his melodeon and Long Rob his fiddle; and faith! if that didn't content the folk they were looking for a church parade of the Gordons, not a wedding. 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 147:
   • His brother, Roy, joined him as a dancer - their two-man jigs were much admired - and his nephew, Jamie Wheeler, has become the side's principal musician, on melodeon and fiddle. 2009 January 13, Derek Schofield, “Francis Shergold”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Deriveds

cat melodeon · melodeonist

Hypernyms

button accordion · accordion

Synonyms

diatonic button accordion

melodeon en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /mɪˈləʊdɪən/ (UK)
• /məˈloʊdi.ən/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From melo- + odeon.

Meanings

1. (US, historical) A music hall.

Forms