cittern

American  

[sit-ern] / ˈsɪt ərn /

noun

1. an old musical instrument related to the guitar, having a flat, pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings.

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cittern British  

/ ˈsɪtɜːn /

noun

1. a medieval stringed instrument resembling a lute but having wire strings and a flat back Compare gittern

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Etymology

Origin of cittern

1550–60; blend of Latin cithara (< Greek kithára lyre, kithara ( def. ) ) and gittern

Example Sentences

Danielle Svonavec lends her soprano to the consort’s lute, cittern, viols and flute as they play songs from the plays of William Shakespeare.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2017

The early-music ensemble brings Yuletide cheer — and instruments, such as the viol, crumhorn and cittern — from a much earlier time in “Wassail, Wassail!” presented by the Early Music Guild.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2012

A few hours before his own recital, Mr. O’Dette played cittern and lute in a program of Celtic music by the gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2011

This recently rediscovered 16th century pop music was and is played by a six-man consort: violin, flute, bass viol and lute with a rhythm section of pandora and cittern.

From Time Magazine Archive

It did indeed turn into the trusty guitar in due course, but not before it had cross-fertilised with another medieval instrument, the citole, whose chief successor in England was unhelpfully called the cittern.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall