piano-violin

noun

plural piano-violins

: a 19th-century keyboard instrument in which pressing a key causes a revolving cylinder to activate a string to produce a sustained tone resembling that of a bowed violin

Word History

First Known Use

1859, 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!