instruments

noun

A device used to produce music.

A means or agency for achieving an effect.

A measuring or displaying device.

A tool, implement used for manipulation or measurement.

(law) A legal document, such as a contract, deed, trust, mortgage, power, indenture, or will.

(figuratively) A person used as a mere tool for achieving a goal.

(aviation, usually in the plural) Ellipsis of flight instrument. [(aviation, usually in the plural) A device that measures and displays data concerning one or more aspects of the situation of an aircraft, such as its altitude, attitude, airspeed, etc.]

verb

(transitive) To apply measuring devices.

(transitive) To devise, conceive, cook up, plan.

To perform upon an instrument; to prepare for an instrument.

Roots

struostru- · Latin · build

Synonyms & related words for instruments

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of instruments. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to instruments

Explore words related to instruments — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include clavichords, pianos, instrumented, electrophone, instrumentation, sarrusophone, instrumenting, woodwinds. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does instruments come from?

The word instruments breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root stru-, from Latin struo (“build”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.