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instrument

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noun [countable] British English pronunciation: instrument /ˈɪnstrʊmənt/ 
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singularinstrument
pluralinstruments
  1. 4
    formal someone or something that can be used in order to make something happen

    The government has a number of policy instruments it can use for this purpose.

    instrument of:

    an important instrument of quality control

    1. a.
      a person who someone uses to help achieve a result
      instrument of:

      The missionaries believed they were instruments of God.

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