noun
Meaning 1
A device used to produce music.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The violinist was a master of her instrument.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
instrument
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.
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/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/
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/ˈɪnstɹʊmənt/
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California, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: IH1 N S T R AH0 M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A means or agency for achieving an aspect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A measuring or displaying device.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The instrument detected an increase in radioactivity.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A tool, implement used for manipulation or measurement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The dentist set down his tray of instruments.
- The scientist recorded the temperature with a thermometer, but wished he had a more accurate instrument.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A tool, implement used for manipulation or measurement.
Ellipsis of flight instrument.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, plural-normally
Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
Examples
- Flight within clouds must be made by reference to your instruments.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A legal document, such as a contract, deed, trust, mortgage, power, indenture, or will, or any of a class of negotiable ones (which can be exchanged for value or money).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
- A bond indenture is the instrument that gives a bond its value.
- Negotiable instruments are the foundation of the debt markets.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A person used as a mere tool for achieving a goal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To apply measuring devices.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- an instrumented test article
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To devise, conceive, cook up, plan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 10
To perform upon an instrument; to prepare for an instrument.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- a sonata instrumented for orchestra
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
the means whereby some act is accomplished
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- my greed was the instrument of my destruction
- science has given us new tools to fight disease
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tool
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: means, agency, way
noun
Meaning 12
a device that requires skill for proper use
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: device
Narrower terms: analyzer, analyser, cautery, cauterant, drafting instrument, engine, extractor, instrument of execution, instrument of punishment, measuring instrument, measuring system, measuring device, medical instrument, navigational instrument, optical instrument, plotter, scientific instrument, sonograph, surveying instrument, surveyor's instrument, tracer, weapon, arm, weapon system, whip
noun
Meaning 13
any of various devices or contrivances that can be used to produce musical tones or sounds
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: musical instrument
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: device
Narrower terms: barrel organ, grind organ, hand organ, hurdy gurdy, hurdy-gurdy, street organ, bass, calliope, steam organ, electronic instrument, electronic musical instrument, jew's harp, jews' harp, mouth bow, keyboard instrument, music box, musical box, percussion instrument, percussive instrument, stringed instrument, wind instrument, wind
noun
Meaning 14
the semantic role of the entity (usually inanimate) that the agent uses to perform an action or start a process
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: instrumental role
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: semantic role, participant role
noun
Meaning 15
(law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: legal document, legal instrument, official document
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: document, written document, papers
Narrower terms: articles of incorporation, derivative instrument, derivative, negotiable instrument, passport, ship's papers, manifest, debenture, power of attorney, letters of administration, letters testamentary, working papers, work papers, work permit, act, enactment, law, bill, measure, brief, legal brief, will, testament, living will, deed, deed of conveyance, title, assignment, trust deed, deed of trust, conveyance, tax return, income tax return, return, license, licence, permit, patent, letters patent, opinion, legal opinion, judgment, judgement, acquittance, release, writ, judicial writ, mandate, authorization, authorisation, affidavit, written agreement, indictment, bill of indictment, impeachment, arraignment, security, certificate
noun
Meaning 16
a person used by another to gain an end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pawn, cat's-paw
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: assistant, helper, help, supporter
verb
Meaning 17
address a legal document to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: address, direct
verb
Meaning 18
write an instrumental score for
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: instrumentate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: compose, write
verb
Meaning 19
equip with instruments for measuring, recording, or controlling
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: equip, fit, fit out, outfit
History
Etymology
From Middle English instrument, from Old French instrument, from Latin īnstrūmentum (“an implement, tool”), From īnstruō (“build, construct; arrange”) + -mentum.
Across languages
Translations
215 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: vegël — musical device
- Albanian: vegël muzikor — musical device
- Arabic: الة موسيقية — musical device
- Asturian: instrumentu — musical device
- Bulgarian: музикален инструмент — musical device
- Catalan: instrument — musical device
- Cherokee: ᎧᏃᎩᏍᏙᏗ (kanogisdodi) — musical device
- Czech: nástroj — musical device
- Danish: instrument — musical device
- Danish: musikinstrument — musical device
- Dutch: instrument — musical device
- Dutch: muziekinstrument — musical device
- Esperanto: instrumento — musical device
- Estonian: pill — musical device
- Estonian: muusikariist — musical device
- Finnish: soitin — musical device
- Finnish: instrumentti — musical device
- French: instrument — musical device
- Galician: instrumento — musical device
- German: Instrument — musical device
- German: Musikinstrument — musical device
- Greek: όργανο (órgano) — musical device
- Ancient Greek: ὄργανον (órganon) — musical device
- Greenlandic: nipilersuut — musical device
- Hebrew: כלי נגינה (kli negina) — musical device
- Hindi: वाद्य (vādya) — musical device
- Hindi: बाजा (bājā) — musical device
- Hungarian: hangszer — musical device
- Icelandic: hljóðfæri — musical device
- Ido: muzik-instrumento — musical device
- Ido: muzikilo — musical device
- Indonesian: instrumen — musical device
- Irish: uirlis — musical device
- Irish: ionstraim — musical device
- Irish: gléas — musical device
- Irish: adhbh cheoil — musical device
- Italian: strumento — musical device
- Japanese: 楽器 (gakki) — musical device
- Japanese: 鳴り物 (narimono) — musical device
- Japanese: 鳴らし物 (narashimono) — musical device
- Japanese: 遊び物 (asobimono) — musical device
- Korean: 악기 (akgi) — musical device
- Latin: organum — musical device
- Latvian: instruments — musical device
- Lithuanian: instrumentas — musical device
- Malayalam: സംഗീത ഉപകരണം (saṅgīta upakaraṇaṁ) — musical device
- Māori: mea whakatangi — musical device
- Norwegian Bokmål: instrument — musical device
- Norwegian Nynorsk: instrument — musical device
- Polish: instrument — musical device
- Portuguese: instrumento — musical device
- Romanian: instrument — musical device
- Russian: инструме́нт (instrumént) — musical device
- Scottish Gaelic: ionnsramaid — musical device
- Scottish Gaelic: inneal-ciùil — musical device
- Slovene: instrument — musical device
- Slovene: inštrument — musical device
- Slovene: glasbilo — musical device
- Spanish: instrumento — musical device
- Swedish: instrument — musical device
- Tamil: இசைக்கருவி (icaikkaruvi) — musical device
- Thai: เครื่องดนตรี (krʉ̂ʉang-don-dtrii) — musical device
- Tibetan: རོལ་ཆའི་ཡོ་བྱད (rol cha'i yo byad) — musical device
- Ukrainian: інструме́нт (instrumént) — musical device
- Urdu: اوزار (ozaar) — musical device
- Urdu: ساز (saaz) — musical device
- Vietnamese: nhạc cụ — musical device
- Bulgarian: прибор (pribor) — measuring device
- Bulgarian: апарат (aparat) — measuring device
- Chinese Mandarin: 仪器 (yíqì) — measuring device
- Chinese Mandarin: 仪表 (yíbiǎo) — measuring device
- Czech: přístroj — measuring device
- Danish: måleudstyr — measuring device
- Danish: måleapparat — measuring device
- Danish: måleinstrument — measuring device
- Dutch: instrument — measuring device
- Dutch: meetinstrument — measuring device
- Dutch: meter — measuring device
- Esperanto: aparato — measuring device
- Finnish: mittari — measuring device
- Finnish: mittalaite — measuring device
- French: instrument de mesure — measuring device
- German: Instrument — measuring device
- German: Messinstrument — measuring device
- Greek: όργανο (órgano) — measuring device
- Hebrew: מכשיר (makhshir) — measuring device
- Hindi: मापन (māpan) — measuring device
- Ingrian: pribora — measuring device
- Italian: strumento — measuring device
- Japanese: 計器 (keiki) — measuring device
- Korean: 계기 (gyegi) — measuring device
- Norwegian: måleapparat — measuring device
- Polish: urządzenie — measuring device
- Polish: przyrząd — measuring device
- Portuguese: instrumento — measuring device
- Portuguese: aparelho — measuring device
- Romanian: instrument — measuring device
- Romanian: aparat — measuring device
- Russian: прибо́р (pribór) — measuring device
- Russian: устро́йство (ustrójstvo) — measuring device
- Scottish Gaelic: inneal-tomhais — measuring device
- Swedish: mätinstrument — measuring device
- Thai: เครื่องมือวัด (krʉ̂ʉang-mʉʉ-wát) — measuring device
- Amharic: መሣሪያ (mäśariya) — tool
- Arabic: آلَة (ʔāla) — tool
- Arabic: أَدَاة (ʔadāh) — tool
- Armenian: գործիք (gorcikʻ) — tool
- Azerbaijani: alət — tool
- Belarusian: інструме́нт (instrumjént) — tool
- Bulgarian: оръ́дие (orǎ́die) — tool
- Bulgarian: сечиво́ (sečivó) — tool
- Bulgarian: инструме́нт (instrumént) — tool
- Catalan: instrument — tool
- Chinese: khì-kū — tool
- Chinese: kang-kū (zh-min-nan) — tool
- Chinese Mandarin: 工具 (gōngjù) — tool
- Czech: nástroj — tool
- Danish: instrument — tool
- Danish: værktøj — tool
- Dutch: instrument — tool
- Estonian: vahend — tool
- Finnish: väline — tool
- Georgian: ინსტრუმენტი (insṭrumenṭi) — tool
- Georgian: იარაღი (iaraɣi) — tool
- German: Werkzeug — tool
- German: Instrument — tool
- Greek: εργαλείο (ergaleío) — tool
- Ancient Greek: ἐργαλεῖον (ergaleîon) — tool
- Hebrew: כלי (kli) — tool
- Hindi: साधन (sādhan) — tool
- Hindi: उपकरण (upakraṇ) — tool
- Hungarian: műszer — tool
- Ingrian: asu — tool
- Ingrian: pribora — tool
- Ingrian: tööriista — tool
- Irish: ionstraim — tool
- Italian: strumento — tool
- Japanese: 器具 (kigu) — tool
- Japanese: 器械 (kikai) — tool
- Javanese: alat — tool
- Javanese: perkakas — tool
- Javanese: piranti — tool
- Kazakh: аспап (aspap) — tool
- Korean: 도구 (dogu) — tool
- Korean: 기계 (gigye) — tool
- Korean: 기구 (gigu) — tool
- Kyrgyz: аспап (aspap) — tool
- Latin: instrūmentum — tool
- Latvian: rīks — tool
- Latvian: ierīce — tool
- Lithuanian: įrankis — tool
- Lithuanian: prietaisas — tool
- Malay: alat — tool
- Māori: paraha — tool
- Norwegian: redskap — tool
- Occitan: instrument — tool
- Persian: اسباب (asbâb) — tool
- Persian: ابزار (abzâr) — tool
- Polish: instrument — tool
- Polish: narzędzie — tool
- Polish: przyrząd — tool
- Polish: przybór — tool
- Portuguese: instrumento — tool
- Russian: инструме́нт (instrumént) — tool
- Russian: ору́дие (orúdije) — tool
- Russian: приспособле́ние (prisposoblénije) — tool
- Russian: прибо́р (pribór) — tool
- Scottish Gaelic: inneal — tool
- Serbo-Croatian: алат — tool
- Serbo-Croatian: alat — tool
- Slovak: nástroj — tool
- Slovene: orodje — tool
- Spanish: instrumento — tool
- Spanish: herramienta — tool
- Swedish: instrument — tool
- Tajik: асбоб (asbob) — tool
- Tajik: олат (olat) — tool
- Tajik: абзор (abzor) — tool
- Telugu: పనిముట్టు (panimuṭṭu) — tool
- Thai: เครื่อง (krʉ̂ʉang) — tool
- Tibetan: ལག་ཆ (lag cha) — tool
- Turkish: enstrüman — tool
- Turkish: alet — tool
- Turkmen: esbap — tool
- Turkmen: gural — tool
- Ukrainian: інструме́нт (instrumént) — tool
- Urdu: آلہ (ālā) — tool
- Uzbek: asbob — tool
- Vietnamese: dụng cụ — tool
- Welsh: teclyn — tool
- Catalan: instrument — legal document
- French: acte — legal document
- German: Dokument — legal document
- German: Urkunde — legal document
- Greek: έγγραφο (éngrafo) — legal document
- Hebrew: מסמך (mismakh) — legal document
- Irish: ionstraim — legal document
- Korean: 증서 (jeungseo) — legal document
- Polish: instrument — legal document
- Russian: инструме́нт (instrumént) — legal document
- Russian: акт (akt) — legal document
- Russian: гра́мота (grámota) — legal document
- Spanish: instrumento — legal document
- Thai: ตราสาร (dtraa-sǎan) — legal document
- Bulgarian: оръдие (orǎdie) — person used as a mere tool
- Catalan: instrument — person used as a mere tool
- Finnish: välikappale — person used as a mere tool
- German: Handlanger — person used as a mere tool
- Greek: υποχείριο (ypocheírio) — person used as a mere tool
- Greek: ενεργούμενο (energoúmeno) — person used as a mere tool
- Korean: 앞잡이 (apjabi) — person used as a mere tool
- Lithuanian: įrankis — person used as a mere tool
- Polish: narzędzie — person used as a mere tool
- Spanish: instrumento — person used as a mere tool
- Thai: เครื่องมือ (krʉ̂ʉang-mʉʉ) — person used as a mere tool
Real reading context