cittern

American

[sit-ern] / ˈsɪt ərn /

noun

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

cittern British

/ ˈsɪtɜːn /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of cittern

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Man in black sometimes plays on a Pipe or Cittern, and the Company dance.

From Among My Books First Series by Lowell, James Russell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023