balalaika

[ bal-uh-lahy-kuh ]

/ ˌbæl əˈlaɪ kə /

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noun

a Russian musical instrument having a triangular body and a neck like that of a guitar.

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Origin of balalaika

1780–90; <Russian balaláĭka, equivalent to balalaĭ-, probably originally a v. base, akin to balabólitʾ, balákatʾ chatter, talk nonsense (compare Russian dial., Ukrainian balabáĭka balalaika), expressive derivatives of Slavic *bay- speak, tell, akin to fate, -phasia + -ka noun suffix

Words nearby balalaika

Balaguer, Balak, Balakirev, Balaklava, Balakovo, balalaika, balance, balance beam, balance bridge, balance control, balanced

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use balalaika in a sentence

The "Balalaika Orchestra," by the way, was a minor sign of the Russian invasion already at its height.
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England Vol. IV of IV.|Charles L. Graves
Here Mongalov reached for his balalaika, a sort of Russian mandolin, and began to play some gay Russian airs on it.
Our Little Cossack Cousin|F. A. Postnikov
The women played one after the other on the balalaika, and then sang in chorus.
Travels in the Steppes of the Caspian Sea, the Crimea, the Caucasus, &c.|Xavier Hommaire de Hell
The porter Yermolay passed him with his balalaika, glanced at him and shrugged his shoulders.
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories|Anton Chekhov

Balalaika, a musical instrument of very ancient Slavonic origin, common among the Russians and Tartars.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for balalaika

balalaika

/ (ˌbæləˈlaɪkə) /

noun

a plucked musical instrument, usually having a triangular body and three strings: used chiefly for Russian folk music

Word Origin for balalaika

C18: from Russian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012