accordion

First attested in 1831. From German Akkordeon, from Akkord (“harmony”), from French accord, from Old French acorder, based on Italian accordare (“to tune”). See also accord.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkɔ(ɹ).di.ˌən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ə.ˈkɔɹ.di.ən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ac‧cord‧i‧on

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.

2. (graphical user interface) A vertical list of items that can be individually expanded and collapsed to reveal their contents.

• squeezebox

• → Irish: acordán

• bandoneon
• concertina

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 […] .

• Concordia