harpsichord
UK/ˈhɑː(ɹ)p.sɪ.kɔː(ɹ)d//ˈhɑɹp.sɪˌkɔɹd/
harpsichord noun: a stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
Noun
harpsichord (plural harpsichords)
- A stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
harpsichord meaning in Arabic, Persian, Thai and Vietnamese
harpsichord in Arabic
- musical instrument
- بِيَانُ القِيثَارِي biyānu l-qīṯārī
harpsichord in Persian
- musical instrument
- هارپسیکورد hârpsikôrd
harpsichord in Thai
- musical instrument
- ฮาร์ปซิคอร์ด hâap sí kòt
harpsichord in Vietnamese
- musical instrument
- đàn clavico
Forms of harpsichord
| plural | harpsichords |
|---|---|
| alternative form | Cemb. |
| alternative form | Hpcd. |
| alternative form | Hpd. |
| alternative form | Hpsd. |
| alternative form | Hrpsd. |
| alternative form (dated) | harpsicord |
| alternative form (archaic) | harpicord |
| alternative form (archaic) | harpichord |
| alternative form (obsolete) | harpsicon |
Origin of harpsichord
Early 1600s, borrowed from French harpechord (“harp string”), from New Latin harpichordium, from harpa (“harp”) + chorda (“string”). Influenced by and possibly also borrowed from Italian arpicordo, producing variant spellings. The unetymological -s-, which predominates by the 1660s, is of unclear origin.
Words formed from harpsichord
- harpsichordist
- harpsichordlike
- lute harpsichord
- lyrichord
- pedal harpsichord
Questions about harpsichord
- What does harpsichord mean?
- Harpsichord means a stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precusor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
- What is harpsichord in Arabic?
- Harpsichord in Arabic is بِيَانُ القِيثَارِي (biyānu l-qīṯārī). See Harpsichord meaning in Arabic.
- What part of speech is harpsichord?
- Harpsichord is a noun.
- How do you pronounce harpsichord?
- Harpsichord is pronounced /ˈhɑː(ɹ)p.sɪ.kɔː(ɹ)d/ (UK).
- What is the plural of harpsichord?
- The plural of harpsichord is harpsichords.
Words near harpsichord in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: harpsichord (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-harpsichord.ogg.
Cite this entry: “harpsichord.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/harpsichord. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.