melodeon

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɪˈləʊdɪən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /məˈloʊdi.ən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

A melodeon organ (sense 1).

A melodeon accordion (sense 2).

From French mélodium, with change of ending.

Noun

melodeon (plural melodeons)

1. (historical, music) A type of reed organ with a single keyboard.
   • 1909, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 5, in Keziah Coffin‎^[1]:

     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.

2. (music) An accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys.
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 147:

     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.

   • 2009 January 13, Derek Schofield, “Francis Shergold”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     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.

Synonyms

• diatonic button accordion

Hypernyms

• button accordion
• accordion

Derived terms

• cat melodeon
• melodeonist

Etymology 2

From melo- +‎ odeon.

Noun

melodeon (plural melodeons)

1. (historical, US) A music hall.

Further reading

• pump organ § Melodeon on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• diatonic button accordion on Wikipedia.Wikipedia