Definition

A musical instrument that has strings and uses bars to play chords by muting other strings.

Example

She played a beautiful melody on her autoharp during the concert.

Conversation

Have you ever seen an autoharp in person?

No, I haven't! What does it look like?

It's a beautiful string instrument that you play with your fingers.

That sounds interesting! I would love to try playing an autoharp someday.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Autoharp is formed from "auto-" (meaning self) and "harp" (from Old English "hearpe", meaning a stringed musical instrument). The word "autoharp" refers to a stringed instrument that is played by pressing buttons to produce chords, allowing the player to create music easily, hence the idea of a self-playing harp.

Memory Tip

Think of 'self' ('auto-') and a 'stringed instrument' ('harp') — an autoharp is a stringed instrument that helps you play music by yourself.

Visually Confused Words