balalaika

[ bal-uh-lahy-kuh ]

/ ˌbæl əˈlaɪ kə /

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, balance lug

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for balalaika

The porter Yermolay passed him with his balalaika, glanced at him and shrugged his shoulders.
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories|Anton Chekhov
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
And from every saddle dangled a balalaika and the terrible Cossack whip.
The Crimson Tide|Robert W. Chambers
The sound of music came from somewhere outside, notes of the balalaika.
The Secret of the Night|Gaston Leroux

Rouletabille listened to the voice dying away with the last sob of the balalaika.
The Secret of the Night|Gaston Leroux

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