Standard Lemma guide

clavichord

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈklæv.ɪˌkɔːd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈklæv.ɪˌkɔɹd/
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AE1 V AH0 K AO2 R D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades (called tangents) attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manichord

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an early stringed instrument like a piano but with more delicate sound

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: keyboard instrument, stringed instrument

History

Etymology

From German Klavichord, from Renaissance Latin clavichordium, from clāvis (“key”) + chorda (“cord, string”).

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կլավիկորդ (klavikord) — early keyboard instrument
  • Catalan: clavicordi — early keyboard instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小鍵琴 /小键琴 (xiǎojiànqín) — early keyboard instrument
  • Danish: klavichord — early keyboard instrument
  • Dutch: klavechord — early keyboard instrument
  • Dutch: klavichord — early keyboard instrument
  • Estonian: klavikord — early keyboard instrument
  • Finnish: klavikordi — early keyboard instrument
  • French: clavicorde — early keyboard instrument
  • French: manicordion — early keyboard instrument
  • Galician: clavicordio — early keyboard instrument
  • Georgian: კლავიკორდი (ḳlaviḳordi) — early keyboard instrument
  • German: Clavichord — early keyboard instrument
  • German: Klavichord — early keyboard instrument
  • Greek: κλαβίχορδο (klavíchordo) — early keyboard instrument
  • Hungarian: klavikord — early keyboard instrument
  • Irish: clabhchorda — early keyboard instrument
  • Italian: clavicordo — early keyboard instrument
  • Italian: clavicordio — early keyboard instrument
  • Latin: clavichordium — early keyboard instrument
  • Lithuanian: klavikordas — early keyboard instrument
  • Polish: klawikord — early keyboard instrument
  • Portuguese: clavicórdio — early keyboard instrument
  • Romanian: clavicord — early keyboard instrument
  • Russian: клавико́рд (klavikórd) — early keyboard instrument
  • Spanish: clavicordio — early keyboard instrument
  • Swedish: klavikord — early keyboard instrument
  • Tagalog: klabikordyo — early keyboard instrument