Illustration of glockenspiel
glockenspiel
noun
glock·en·spiel
ˈglä-kən-ˌshpēl 
-ˌspēl
: a percussion instrument consisting of a series of graduated metal bars tuned to the chromatic scale and played with two hammers
Examples of glockenspiel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He’s manifested these through violin, piccolo, glockenspiel, and rumbling percussion suggestive of rolling surf, lighting strikes, and thunder.
—
Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
The use of odd sounds, ranging from cloud-chamber bowls to a glockenspiel.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024
Trumpets spread out around the auditorium; bass notes in the orchestra rose as if from profound depths; enticing melodies came out of nowhere, and piccolos and glockenspiels imagined a wondrous twinkling of night light on Disney’s steel, were the Music Center ever to properly light the building.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023
In addition to the beer, there’s an art tent, plenty of German food, warm pretzels, cigars, wiener races, a glockenspiel, tribute bands, sand sculptures and many other activities.
—Marc Bona, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
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Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
The use of odd sounds, ranging from cloud-chamber bowls to a glockenspiel.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024
Trumpets spread out around the auditorium; bass notes in the orchestra rose as if from profound depths; enticing melodies came out of nowhere, and piccolos and glockenspiels imagined a wondrous twinkling of night light on Disney’s steel, were the Music Center ever to properly light the building.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023
In addition to the beer, there’s an art tent, plenty of German food, warm pretzels, cigars, wiener races, a glockenspiel, tribute bands, sand sculptures and many other activities.
—Marc Bona, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for glockenspiel
Cite this Entry
“Glockenspiel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glockenspiel. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glockenspiel
noun
glock·en·spiel
ˈgläk-ən-ˌshpēl
-ˌspēl
: a portable musical instrument consisting of a series of metal bars played with two hammers
Etymology
German, from Glocke "bell" and Spiel "play"
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