theremin

noun

the·​re·​min ˈther-ə-mən How to pronounce theremin (audio)
: a purely melodic electronic musical instrument typically played by moving the hands in the electromagnetic fields surrounding two projecting antennae

Examples of theremin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Drifting around the stage in billowing black silk drapery, Sumney pops in and out of scenes, singing with a mystical, human-theremin voice, accompanying himself on electric guitar. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025 Their eponymous theme sets the tone with a churning brew of twinkling synths and ritualistic percussion, both of which are eventually subsumed into the supernatural (represented by the theremin) before a crash of guitar boils everything together into chaos. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025 Think about those spooky sounds in old horror movies, that's a theremin. Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 11 June 2025 Ahead of that, a special event held in Episode 5 (out Feb. 14) will present an opportunity for more theremin playing, though Miss Huang will be irked to be snubbed again. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for theremin

Word History

Etymology

modification of Russian termen-voks from Lev Sergeevich Termen (Léon Thérémin) †1993 Russian engineer & inventor + Latin vox voice

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of theremin was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Theremin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theremin. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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