— hurdy-gurdist, hurdy-gurdyist , n.
/herr"dee gerr"dee, -gerr'-/ , n. , pl. hurdy-gurdies .
1. a barrel organ or similar musical instrument played by turning a crank.
2. a lute- or guitar-shaped stringed musical instrument sounded by the revolution against the strings of a rosined wheel turned by a crank.
[ 1740-50; var. of Scots hirdy-girdy uproar, influencedby HURLY-BURLY ]