ukulele
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ukulele
1895–1900, < Hawaiian ʿukulele leaping flea ( ʿuku flea + lele to jump, leap), a nickname given to British army officer Edward Purvis (who popularized the instrument at the court of King Kalakaua), in reference to his lively playing style
Explanation
The happy little Hawaiian stringed instrument that looks like a small guitar is a ukulele. Most ukuleles have four strings and are light enough to be strummed by anyone, including kids. The ukulele, or uke, as it's frequently called for short, comes in four standard sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and even more less-common variations. The larger the uke, the deeper and louder its sound. Some ukuleles are even double-strung, with a total of eight strings. A good ukulele player's fingers move extremely fast, which explains its name, which means "leaping flea" in Hawaiian.
Vocabulary lists containing ukulele
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Musical Instruments - Introductory
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Musical Instruments - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For the Banbridge and Lisburn Ukulele Group it was a chance to play King Charles some of his favourite songs.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2025
Outdoor Ukulele: He can make music anywhere with this colorful ukulele out of Bend, Oregon.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2021
Besides, the St. Alban’s Ukulele Orchestra’s 17 musicians think you may be underestimating the ukulele’s charms.
From Washington Times • Dec. 15, 2019
Exuberance may not be a local trait but, on a recent Friday night, Lothersdale Village Hall was packed for a concert by the visiting Clitheroe Ukulele Orchestra.
From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2017
But even here he got into trouble by putting one of his great feet through a Ukulele, which isn't such a terrible thing to do, except in certain places.
From Biltmore Oswald The Diary of a Hapless Recruit by Dorgan, Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
