banjo
[ ban-joh ]
/ ˈbæn dʒoʊ /
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noun, plural ban·jos, ban·joes.
a musical instrument of the guitar family, having a circular body covered in front with tightly stretched parchment and played with the fingers or a plectrum.
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Origin of banjo
First recorded in 1730–40; compare Jamaican English banja, bonjour, bangil, Brazilian Portuguese banza; probably of African origin; compare Kimbundu mbanza a plucked string instrument
OTHER WORDS FROM banjo
ban·jo·ist, nounWords nearby banjo
banister back, banisters, Banja Luka, Banjarmasin, Banjermasin, banjo, banjo clock, banjolele, Banjul, bank, Banka
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for banjo
British Dictionary definitions for banjo
banjo
/ (ˈbændʒəʊ) /
noun plural -jos or -joes
a stringed musical instrument with a long neck (usually fretted) and a circular drumlike body overlaid with parchment, plucked with the fingers or a plectrum
slang any banjo-shaped object, esp a frying pan
Australian and NZ slang a long-handled shovel with a wide blade
(modifier) banjo-shapeda banjo clock
Derived forms of banjo
banjoist, nounWord Origin for banjo
C18: variant (US Southern pronunciation) of bandore
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
Cultural definitions for banjo
banjo
A stringed musical instrument, played by plucking (see strings). The banjo has a percussive sound and is much used in folk music and bluegrass music.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.