hurdy-gurdy
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
hurdy-gurdy
- /ˈhɜː.diˌɡɜː.di/ UK
- /ˌhɜː.diˈɡɜː.di/ UK
- /ˈhɝː.diˌɡɝː.di/ US
- /ˌhɝː.diˈɡɝː.di/ US
Where it comes from
Probably onomatopoeic in imitation of the sound produced by the stringed instrument. Compare obsolete hirdy-girdy (“an uproar; noise”). Attested from the 1740s.
noun hurdy-gurdies
-
A stringed instrument that produces a droning sound by turning a handle that connects to a wheel that rubs against a rosined string, with a keyboard also used to alter the pitch of the string.
Similar: organistrum, wheel fiddle
-
Synonym of street organ, often considered a misnomer.
He flung open the door, and found there only a ragged boy with a hurdy-gurdy on his back.
Similar: street organ, often considered a misnomer
- A water wheel with radial buckets, driven by the impact of a jet.
- A winch, a windlass. A pair of oars, a small mast and sail, pen boards to contain the fish, a bailer, a water jar, a bait knife, a compass, a small wooden winch called a hurdy gurdy, a fish gaff, and the tubs, trawls, floats, and anchors used to set gear was all that was required to equip it.
adjective
- Sounding like the Swedish language. “You mean when she read that God-awful poem in her hurdy-gurdy Swedish chef accent?
Translations
Every language
noun stringed instrument
| Español | zanfona |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 허디 거디 heodi geodi, 휴대용 풍금 hyudaeyong punggeum |
| 日本語 | ハーディ・ガーディ hādi-gādi |
| 中文 | 手搖琴 /手摇琴 shǒuyáoqín, 絞弦琴 /绞弦琴 jiǎoxiánqín, 手搖風琴 /手摇风琴 shǒuyáo fēngqín |
| Português | viela de roda, sanfona |
| Français | vielle à roue |
| Deutsch | Leier, Drehleier |
| Italiano | ghironda |
| Русский | колёсная ли́ра koljósnaja líra |
Talk about this word "hurdy-gurdy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hurdy-gurdy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hurdy-gurdy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hurdy-gurdy "hurdy-gurdy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hurdy-gurdy.Cite this
@misc{hurdy_gurdy_2026,
title = {hurdy-gurdy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hurdy-gurdy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
