a bass tuba made to coil over the shoulder of a band musician
Word origin
C19: probably from Helicon, associated with Greek helix spiral
Helicon in British English
(ˈhɛlɪkən)
noun
a mountain in Greece, in Boeotia: location of the springs of Hippocrene and Aganippe, believed by the Ancient Greeks to be the source of poetic inspiration and the home of the Muses. Height: 1749 m (5738 ft)
Modern Greek name: Elikón
Helicon in American English
(ˈhɛlɪˌkɑn; ˈhɛlɪkən)
mountain group in SC Greece, on the Gulf of Corinth: in Greek mythology, the home of the Muses; highest peak, 5,735 ft (1,748 m)
helicon in American English
(ˈhɛlɪˌkɑn; ˈhɛlɪkən)
noun
a brass instrument of the tuba family, consisting of a long, coiled tube that can be carried over the shoulder
see also sousaphone
Word origin
prob. < helico- + arbitrary ending: from the shape