Definition of "hurdy-gurdy" [hur•dy-gur•dy]

• A medieval stringed instrument played by turning a rosined wheel with a crank and depressing keys connected to tangents on the strings. (noun)
• Any instrument, such as a barrel organ, played by turning a crank. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It should be mentioned that "Der Leiermann," the last song of the cycle, is actually about a hurdy-gurdy player, and was the starting off point for the duo's interest in re-interpeting the entire work."
• "Will you please turn off your hurdy-gurdy for five minutes?"
• "Dutch artists excelled at portraying these sorts of characters - hurdy-gurdy players, smokers, drinkers, prostitutes."