concertina
/ˌkɒnsəˈtiːnə/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːnsərˈtiːnə/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkän(t)-sər-ˈtē-nə/ (ame, mw) · /ˌkɒn.səˈtiː.nə/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːn.sɚˈtiː.nə/ (ame, ipa)
concertina — noun
- concertinasingular
- concertinasplural
1. a small musical instrument shaped like a box with bellows in the middle. The pla
a small musical instrument shaped like a box with bellows in the middle. The player holds one end in each hand, pushes them in and pulls them out, and presses small buttons to make different notes.
Iris learned to play the concertina from her grandfather in Dublin.
play (the) concertina
An old sailor sat on the dock and played a sad tune on his concertina.
on (the) concertina
Mateo squeezed the concertina slowly, and a low, breathing sound filled the room.
The small folk band used a fiddle, a concertina, and a single drum.
- accordion
larger relative with a piano-style keyboard on one side; not the same instrument but closely related
- squeezebox
informal cover term for hand-bellows instruments including concertinas and accordions
- bandoneon
related square button instrument used mainly in Argentine tango
文法句型
play (the) concertina
on (the) concertina
用法筆記
Often confused with an accordion, but the concertina is smaller, hexagonal, and uses buttons on both ends rather than a piano-style keyboard. Common in Irish, English, and Argentine folk music.
常見錯誤
2. sharp wire wound into large loose loops that spring open when pulled apart, used
sharp wire wound into large loose loops that spring open when pulled apart, used to make a quick barrier that people cannot easily cross.
Soldiers laid concertina along the river bank to slow down anyone crossing at night.
typical context: military barrier
The fence around the prison was topped with three rolls of concertina.
collocation: rolls of concertina
Karim cut his hand badly when he tried to climb over the concertina.
Workers spent the morning rolling out concertina along the construction site.
- razor wire
almost interchangeable in everyday use; technically refers to wire with flat blades rather than barbs
- barbed wire
the general term; concertina is one particular coiled form of barbed wire
文法句型
concertina wire
rolls of concertina
用法筆記
Often appears as the compound 'concertina wire' to make the meaning clear. Found on prison walls, military bases, and border fences, where it is preferred over plain barbed wire because it springs into shape on its own.
常見錯誤
concertina — verb
- concertinapresent simple I / you / we / they
- concertinas3rd person singular
- concertinaing-ing form
- concertinaedpast simple
1. if a long object concertinas, or something concertinas it, the long object is pr
if a long object concertinas, or something concertinas it, the long object is pressed into many short folds, like the middle of a concertina being squeezed shut.
The truck hit the back of the van, and the bonnet concertinaed badly.
intransitive: a vehicle concertinas
In the storm, the long tent poles concertinaed and collapsed onto the campers.
Yael folded the paper carefully, concertinaing it into a small fan.
After the train crash, the front three carriages had concertinaed into one twisted heap.
- stretch out
to extend something long and flat instead of pressing it into folds
文法句型
[thing] concertinas
concertina + noun
用法筆記
Most common in British news reports of vehicle or train crashes, where it describes how a long body crumples into tight folds. Rarely used outside this concrete image of folding or crumpling.