guitar

[gi-tahr]

noun

1. a stringed musical instrument with a long, fretted neck, a flat, somewhat violinlike body, and typically six strings, which are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum.

guitar

/ ɡɪˈtɑː /

noun

1. music a plucked stringed instrument originating in Spain, usually having six strings, a flat sounding board with a circular sound hole in the centre, a flat back, and a fretted fingerboard. Range: more than three octaves upwards from E on the first leger line below the bass staff See also electric guitar bass guitar Hawaiian guitar

guitar

1. A stringed musical instrument (see strings) usually played by strumming or plucking. Guitars are widely used in folk music and, often amplified electronically, in country and western music and rock 'n' roll.

Other Word Forms

• guitar-like adjective
• guitarist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of guitar¹

1615–25; < Spanish guitarra < Arabic kītārah ≪ Greek kithára kithara

Word History and Origins

Origin of guitar¹

C17: from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic qītār, from Greek kithara _cithara

Example Sentences

While reviews were largely positive, The Quietus recoiled at the lack of heavy guitar anthems in a scathing screed that employed descriptors like "unintrusive", "clunking" and "by-numbers detritus".

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“I tried to play the guitar. I tried to play piano. I tried to play everything.”

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“He plays classical guitar. He’s a very good tennis player. He won the America’s Cup. He has a huge Japanese art collection.”

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“ICE is gonna come bust down your door,” he sings, accompanied only by a somber electric guitar.

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On many of these songs, Ms. Case places her poetic narratives in a chamber-pop setting, with tasteful orchestrations augmenting guitar, piano, bass and drums.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal