Squeezebox
/ˈskwiːzˌbɒks/noun
An accordion or similar free-reed instrument, especially in informal use.
Did you know?The name is slang for the accordion family, and its eerie charm comes from the instrument’s bellows: you don’t just play it, you physically compress it to summon sound.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*squeiz-
“to squeeze or press (reconstructed root behind Germanic forms)”
Old English
EN
squēzan
“to press tightly or crush”
Middle English
EN
squezen
“to press, compress, or wring”
19th Century
English
squeeze-box
“informal slang for an accordion or similar bellows-driven instrument”
Modern English
English
squeezebox
“an accordion; by extension, any bellows-style keyboard instrument”