Accolade
in heraldry, the ceremony by which in mediæval times one was dubbed a knight. On the question what this was, antiquaries are not agreed. It has been made an embrace round the neck, a kiss, or a slight blow upon the cheek or shoulder.
ACCORDION, a well-known keyed instrument with metallic reeds. The sounds are produced by the vibration of the several metallic tongues, which are of different sizes, air being meanwhile supplied by the movement of the opposite sides of the instrument, so as to constitute a bellows. The accordion was introduced into America from Germany about 1828.