Monochord
/ˈmɒn.ə.kɔːd/noun
A musical instrument with one string, used for testing pitch and studying musical intervals.
Did you know?The monochord became a key instrument in Pythagorean and medieval music theory, because thinkers believed numerical ratios in a single vibrating string could reveal the structure of the cosmos.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μονόχορδον (monókhordon)
“a one-stringed instrument”
Late Latin
Latin
monochordum
“a one-stringed instrument”
Old French
Old French
monocorde
“a one-stringed instrument”
14th Century
English
monocorde
“a one-stringed instrument”
Modern English
English
monochord
“a one-stringed instrument used in music theory”