helicon

noun

hel·i·con ˈhe-lə-ˌkän

-li-kən

: a large circular tuba similar to a sousaphone but lacking an adjustable bell

Examples of helicon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Allan Jaffe, who played the helicon, a brass instrument, was the link to the musicians and sent them out on the road as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. —

New York Times, 31 Dec. 2021

Word History

Etymology

probably from Greek helik-, helix + English -on (as in bombardon); from its tube's forming a spiral encircling the player's body

First Known Use

circa 1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of helicon was circa 1875

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Helicon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helicon. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Geographical Definition

Helicon

geographical name

Hel·i·con ˈhe-lə-ˌkän

-li-kən

variants or Modern Greek Elikón

ˌe-lē-ˈkȯn

mountain 5735 feet (1748 meters) high in southwestern Boeotia, east central Greece, near the Gulf of Corinth

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