banjo

American  

[ban-joh] / ˈbæn dʒoʊ /

noun

plural

banjos, banjoes

1. 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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banjo British  

/ ˈbændʒəʊ /

noun

1. 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

2. slang any banjo-shaped object, esp a frying pan

3. slang a long-handled shovel with a wide blade

4. (modifier) banjo-shaped

   a banjo clock

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banjo Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• banjoist noun

Etymology

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

Explanation

A banjo is a musical stringed instrument with a round body and a neck. Bluegrass bands almost always include at least one banjo. A banjo can be played by strumming it like a guitar, or by plucking or picking the strings. Banjos can have four, five, or six strings, and their origins go back to African instruments, whose designs influenced African slaves in Colonial America to create the first banjos. The word banjo was originally used in 18th century America, from the Bantu mbanza, a banjo-like stringed instrument.

Example Sentences

But then we see him at the top of the cliff, strumming the banjo that Maude gave him, choosing to live, although he’d just lost what led him to come to the conclusion.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2026

“It looks like a cigar-box banjo I made when I ’uz ten!”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

On Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé showcased the black roots of the genre, even bringing on Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens to play banjo on Texas Hold 'Em.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Early jazz bands used no string instruments, but as the genre developed, both the banjo and the guitar found places on the jazz stage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

The line was taut as a banjo string, and the merest tug would snap it on and blind the shivering quarry in a blaze of light.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller