zhaleika

zhaleika

English

A zhaleika.

Etymology

Russian жале́йка (žaléjka).

Noun

zhaleika (plural zhaleikas)

1. A Russian (or broader Slavic) wind instrument with one or two pipes.
   • 1983, Culture and Life:

     Zhaleika playing

     I cherish the zhaleika given to me by the self-taught craftsman as a precious souvenir.

   • 2011, Meg Waite Clayton, The Four Ms. Bradwells, Ballantine Books (→ISBN), pages 141 and 185:

     We played music for hours: Polish folk songs; church music; and three songs I'd improbably adapted for our zhaleikas, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" because my singing along to that record had caused more groans in our house than anything else, and "Your Song" and "Hey Jude."

     […]

     She put my instrument in my hands and she extracted her own zhaleika from the bag she'd carried mine in.