The New Student's Reference Work/Harpsichord

Harp′sichord, a keyed musical instrument, formerly much used but now little known. The sound from the strings was produced by a small piece of crow-quill or a piece of hard leather, which projected from a slip of wood called the jack, that stood upright between the strings and was pushed upward by the key, till the quill or leather twitched the strings, producing a rather shrill sound. After the invention of the pianoforte, the harpsichord was gradually superseded by the new instrument.