theremin

American  

[ther-uh-min] / ˈθɛr ə mɪn /

noun

1. a musical instrument with electronic tone generation, the pitch and tone volume being controlled by the distance between the player's hands and two metal rods serving as antennas.

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theremin British  

/ ˈθɛrəmɪn /

noun

1. an electronic musical instrument, played by moving the hands through electromagnetic fields created by two metal rods

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Other Word Forms

• thereminist noun

Etymology

Origin of theremin

First recorded in 1925–30; named after Leo Theremin (1896–1993), Russian inventor

Explanation

A theremin is an electronic musical instrument that makes a strange, eerie sound when you move your hands near it. The theremin is distinctive for being the only musical instrument that a player never touches. A thereminist plays by moving their hands close to, but not touching, the theremin's two oscillating antennas. These hand movements change the instrument's pitch and volume by interfering with the frequency of radio waves. The instrument is named for its inventor, Léon Thérémin, a Russian scientist and KGB spy.

Example Sentences

They had an ample three weeks to tackle their very first episode, a “Game of Thrones” parody titled “The Serfsons,” which featured some theremin solos.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2025

When your theremin gets staticky, someone at Equinox probably can fix it.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024

A year earlier, Mr. Deutsch had used one of Moog’s kits to build his own theremin.

From Washington Post • Dec. 14, 2022

In a world partly made by a man who directed, wrote and produced a documentary about the history of the theremin, this is entirely believable.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2021

If the drama is bad, if the film says nothing, if the play is hollow, sting me with the theremin, loudly.

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury