barrel-and-pin

adjective

bar·​rel-and-pin

: having or consisting of a rotating cylinder studded with pins or pegs and used in a mechanical musical instrument (such as a music box, barrel organ, or barrel piano) to activate the instrument's sound-producing mechanism

… there is the spring, which pumps the little bellows and works the little barrel-and-pin device that releases the air into the pipes that make the whistle.

—Robertson Davies, World of Wonders, 1975

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!