instrument

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instrument

variety of medical instruments (© School Division, Houghton Mifflin Company)

(ĭn'strə-mənt)
n.

1. A means by which something is done; an agency.
2. One used by another to accomplish a purpose; a dupe.
3. An implement used to facilitate work. See synonyms at tool.
4. A device for recording, measuring, or controlling, especially such a device functioning as part of a control system.
5. Music. A device for playing or producing music: a keyboard instrument.
6. A legal document, such as a deed, will, mortgage, or insurance policy.

tr.v., -ment·ed, -ment·ing, -ments. (-mĕnt')

1. To provide or equip with instruments.
2. Music. To compose or arrange for performance.
3. To address a legal document to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin īnstrūmentum, tool, implement, from īnstruere, to prepare. See instruct.]

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Legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties, expressing a contractual right or a right to the payment of money. Practically all documents used in credit are instruments, e.g., checks, drafts, notes, bonds. See also Negotiable Instrument.

A written legal document, created to establish the rights and liabilities of the parties to it.


Examples: The following are examples of instruments:

• deed

• mortgage

• land contract

• lease

• assignment

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noun

1. That by which something is accomplished or some end achieved: agency, agent, instrumentality, instrumentation, intermediary, mean³ (used in plural), mechanism, medium, organ. See means.
2. A person used or controlled by others: cat's-paw, dupe, pawn², puppet, stooge, tool. See over/under.
3. A device used to do work or perform a task: implement, tool, utensil. See machine, means.

n

Definition: means, agent
Antonyms: end

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A formal or legal written document; a document in writing, such as a deed, lease, bond, contract, or will. A writing that serves as evidence of an individual's right to collect money, such as a check.

1) A tradeable asset or negotiable item such as a security, commodity, derivative or index, or any item that underlies a derivative. An instrument is a means by which something of value is transferred, held or accomplished.

2) An economic variable that can be controlled or altered by government policymakers in to cause a desired effect in other economic indicators.

3) A legal document such as a contract, will or deed.

Investopedia Says:
1) Basically, any asset purchased by an investor can be considered a financial instrument. Antique furniture, wheat and corporate bonds are all equally considered investing instruments; they can all be bought and sold as things that hold and produce value. Instruments can be debt or equity, representing a share of liability (a future repayment of debt) or ownership.

2) Commonly, policymakers and central banks adjust economic instruments such as interest rates to achieve and maintain desired levels of other economic indicators such as inflation or unemployment rates.

3) Some examples of legal instruments include insurance contracts, debt covenants, purchase agreements or mortgages. These documents lay out the parties involved, triggering events and terms of the contract, communicating the intended purpose and scope.

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IN BRIEF: Device or tool used for doing exact work.

Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshiped. — Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), American statesman.

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A device using an internal mechanism to show visually or aurally the attitude, altitude, or operation of an aircraft or an aircraft part. It includes electronic devices for automatically controlling an aircraft in flight.

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A delicate tool.

• i. milk — an emulsion used as an instrument lubricant.
• i. ties — ties for knots in sutures made with instruments.

n

A tool or implement, especially one used for delicate or scientific work. See under the specific type of instrument (e.g., knife). See also instrumenting, instrumentarium.

For a list of words related to instrument, see:

• Voice Transmission and Telephony - instrument: single telephone with internal circuitry, bell, transmitter, mouthpiece, receiver, earpiece, and housing
• Decisions, Judgments, and Conditions - instrument: formal legal document, such as deed, bond, or contract
• Banking and Financial Services - instrument: formal legal document, such as deed, bond, note, or draft
• Instrument Types and Groupings - instrument: any contrivance or apparatus that produces musical sounds
• Stagecraft, Production, and Dramatic Structure - instrument: Method term for actor’s body or theatrical light

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Instrument.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - instrument, redskab, middel
v. tr. - instrumentere, udstyre med instrumenter

idioms:

• instrument panel    instrumenttavle, omskiftertavle

Nederlands (Dutch)
instrument, werktuig, (hulp)middel, muziekinstrument, document, waardepapier, voorzien van (meet) instrumenten

Français (French)
n. - (lit, fig) instrument, (Mus) instrument, (Jur) acte juridique, (Fin) moyen de paiement, titre, effet
v. tr. - (Mus) orchestrer, (Jur) instrumenter

idioms:

• instrument panel    tableau de bord

Deutsch (German)
n. - Instrument, Werkzeug, Urkunde
v. - instrumentieren

idioms:

• instrument panel    Armaturenbrett

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - όργανο, μέσο, πράξη, έγγραφο, εργαλείο, ενεργούμενο, (μτφ.) πιόνι, (νομ.) επίσημο ή δεσμευτικό έγγραφο
v. - (μουσ., μτφ.) ενορχηστρώνω, ενοργανώνω, εξοπλίζω με όργανα (αυτοκίνητο, αεροπλάνο κ.λπ.)

idioms:

• instrument panel    πίνακας οργάνων

Italiano (Italian)
strumento, utensile, orchestrare

idioms:

• instrument panel    cruscotto

Português (Portuguese)
n. - instrumento (m)
v. - instrumentar

idioms:

• instrument panel    quadro (m) (painel) de instrumentos

Русский (Russian)
орудие, приборы, музыкальный инструмент, документ

idioms:

• instrument panel    пульт управления

Español (Spanish)
n. - instrumento, dispositivo, instrumento musical
v. tr. - instrumentar, equipar con instrumentos

idioms:

• instrument panel    tablero de instrumentos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - instrument (äv. mus. o jur.), redskap (äv. bildl.), (bidragande) orsak, (rättsligt) dokument, styrmedel, apparat, penis
v. - instrumentera (mus.), orkestrera, förse med instrument

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
仪器, 乐器, 器具, 器械, 手段, 工具, 用器械装备, 把...改编成管弦乐, 向...提交文书

idioms:

• instrument panel    仪表板

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 儀器, 樂器, 器具, 器械, 手段, 工具
v. tr. - 用器械裝備, 把...改編成管弦樂, 向...提交文書

idioms:

• instrument panel    儀錶板

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 기구, 악기, 수단
v. tr. - ~에 기기를 장치하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 器具, 楽器, 法律文書, 手先, 手段, 証書, 文書

idioms:

• instrument panel    計器板
• stringed instrument    弦楽器

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) وسيله, أداة, سند, حجه (فعل) يزود بآلات, يوجه ( عريضه) إلى‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מכשיר, אמצעי, צייד, כלי-נגינה, איש-קש - נציג של גוף המבקש חשאיות‬
v. tr. - ‮צייד במכשירים‬

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