Jew's harp

American  

Or Jews' harp

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a small, simple musical instrument consisting of a lyre-shaped metal frame containing a metal tongue, which is plucked while the frame is held in the teeth, the vibrations causing twanging tones.

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jew's-harp British  

noun

1. a musical instrument consisting of a small lyre-shaped metal frame held between the teeth, with a steel tongue plucked with the finger. Changes in pitch are produced by varying the size of the mouth cavities

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Etymology

Origin of Jew's harp

First recorded in 1585–95; perhaps jocular; earlier called Jew's trump

Example Sentences

It sounds something like a Jew’s harp, but much louder.

From Slate • Sep. 30, 2018

“Won’t you have the Jew’s harp, if I go and find it?”

From Cutlass and Cudgel by Schonberg, J.

Gentlemen, they will sound like something between a musette and a Jew's harp, when you are near to the player; they will not be heard at all some yards away!

From Violin Making 'The Strad' Library, No. IX. by Mayson, Walter H. (Walter Henry)

The singing was usually to the accompaniment of a Jew's harp and fiddle, or banjo.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Maryland Narratives by Work Projects Administration

The memoirs of Madame de Genlis first made known the astonishing powers of a poor German soldier on the Jew's harp.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 10, No. 269, August 18, 1827 by Various