A concertina is a musical instrument consisting of two end pieces with stiff paper or cloth that folds up between them. You play the concertina by pressing the buttons on theend pieces while moving them together and apart.
concertina in British English
(ˌkɒnsəˈtiːnə)
noun
1.
a small hexagonal musical instrument of the reed organ family in which metallic reeds are vibrated by air from a set of bellows operated by the player's hands. Notes are produced by pressing buttons
verbWord forms: -nas, -naing or -naed
2. (intransitive)
to collapse or fold up like a concertina
Derived forms
concertinist (ˌconcerˈtinist)
noun
Word origin
C19: concert + -ina
concertina in American English
(ˌkɑnsərˈtinə)
noun
a musical instrument similar to an accordion but smaller and with buttons instead of a keyboard
Word origin
concert + -ina: coined (1829) by Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-75), Eng physicist
Examples of 'concertina' in a sentence
concertina
She pushed more forcefully, and it suddenly slid back like a concertina, separating into seven distinct panels.
Garth Nix LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
It was indeed chain link, topped by evil-looking concertina wire, and it looked at least ten feet high.
Kallen, Lucille C B GREENFIELD - A LITTLE MADNESS (2001)
He unfurled the blanket insulation over the concertina wire and scrambled over the fence as a Doberman streaked toward him, snarling.