English

A piano accordion

Noun

accordion ‎(plural accordions)

1. A small, portable, keyed wind instrument, whose tones are generated by play of the wind from a squeezed bellows upon free metallic reeds.
   • 1869, Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad:

     A disreputable accordion that had a leak somewhere and breathed louder than it squawked.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Ambrose Bierce, Devil’s Dictionary:

     Accordion: an instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     An accordion underskirt of blue silk moirette.

Synonyms

• squeezebox

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• bandoneon
• concertina

Verb

accordion ‎(third-person singular simple present accordions, present participle accordioning, simple past and past participle accordioned)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To fold up, in the manner of an accordion
   • 2000 December 29, Charles Dickinson, “Qi”, in Chicago Reader:

     Still in reverse, she goosed the gas and accordioned the running board a fraction of an inch more.

   • 2005, Cory Doctorow, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town:

     It accordioned down and he tugged the shirt around it so that it came free […] .