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Definitions

instrument

[in-struh-muhnt] / ˈɪn strə mənt /




Usage

What are other ways to say instrument? An instrument is anything used in doing a certain type of work or producing a certain result, especially such as requires delicacy, accuracy, or precision: surgical or musical instruments. A tool is a contrivance held in and worked by the hand, for assisting the work of (especially) mechanics or skilled laborers: a carpenter's tools. An implement is any tool or contrivance designed or used for a particular purpose: agricultural implements. A utensil is especially an article for domestic use: kitchen utensils. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

On “American Dream,” Mr. Cockrell’s instrument has a slapback effect, as if he’s playing underwater, echoing the lyric’s description of feeling overwhelmed and weighted down by the state of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

Dulli told Salon that he’s been mindful about taking care of his instrument.

From Salon Aug. 25, 2026

Larson’s instrument has been the Social Security 2100 Act, which he first introduced in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 18, 2026

A melodica is a handheld instrument played by blowing air into a reed, which is attached to a keyboard.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2026

Using a piano/keyboard, pitch pipe, or some other melodic instrument, find the correct starting pitch for the range of students in your class.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Catching them in nets and fitting the instruments takes about 20 minutes: a brief stressful episode after which the animals return to normal behavior.

From Barron's Aug. 26, 2026

The simulations relied on detailed maps of elevation and temperature generated from data collected by instruments aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, along with models showing how radiation reaches the lunar surface.

From Science Daily Aug. 25, 2026

Thus, along with their instruments they packed sheaves of what appeared to be sheet music but was in fact coded data.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

Despite being unable to read sheet music, Parton played several instruments including the banjo, harp, piano and saxophone.

From BBC Aug. 25, 2026

Children are able to discern the timbre of a sound from a very young age, including the vocal timbres of peers, relatives, and teachers, as well as the timbres of different instruments.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Because of these risks, the landslide area has been extensively instrumented since 2020.

From Science Daily Dec. 21, 2025

When NASA’s most powerful rocket ever attempts its first flight this month, its highest profile payload will be three instrumented mannequins, setting off on a 42-day journey beyond the Moon and back.

From Science Magazine Aug. 15, 2022

Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, a U.S. naval facility, is the world's largest instrumented, "multi-dimensional" testing and training missile range, according to the U.S.

From Fox News Feb. 22, 2022

"This is the most heavily instrumented vehicle we will ever fly so we will get a tremendous amount of engineering data on vibration and temperature and stress, acoustics," said Mr Shannon.

From BBC Mar. 18, 2021

We are unlikely to determine the answer to this question without landing instrumented space vehicles on the Titanian surface.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

“We are instrumenting the car in a way that is overloading the driver just like we were overloading the helicopter pilots,” said Strayer, director of the university’s Center for the Prevention of Distracted Driving.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 6, 2022

This can be a result of budgetary constraints, the difficulty of instrumenting treacherous volcanoes and, in some cases, red tape preventing the placement of sensors in wilderness areas.

From New York Times Nov. 9, 2021

“And we need to rethink what this instrumenting of the world — all that data being generated and collected — means for privacy and how all this data is used.”

From New York Times Aug. 4, 2015

Yet little has been done to probe the underlying crust and mantle, mainly because instrumenting the entire state is so expensive.

From Scientific American Nov. 5, 2013

Niels and I get to work carefully instrumenting the sleep logger and attaching it to the bird.

From New York Times Apr. 15, 2011




Vocabulary lists containing instrument


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