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

Example Sentences

It begins as a duet with Kermit, playing his left-handed banjo, and ends with Miss Piggy, who muscles her way in, anxious for screen time after her Aphrodite number is cut.

From Los Angeles Times

Additional cancellations included banjo player Béla Fleck and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, who announced he no longer intended to host a May 15 gala at the center.

From Los Angeles Times

People play instruments at the Ranch, guitars and banjos, but no one ever dances.

From Literature

“Too many people that don’t know Mississippi think of it as a river, steamboats and some old guy strumming a banjo on a broken porch,” says Mr. Carswell.

From The Wall Street Journal

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