guitar

American  

[gi-tahr] / gɪˈtɑr /

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.

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guitar British  

/ 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

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guitar Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• guitar-like
  adjective
• guitarist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of guitar

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

Explanation

A guitar is a musical instrument with a long neck and strings. When you play the guitar, you press the strings with one hand to make a note, and strum with the other hand (unless, of course, you are playing air guitar). The section of a guitar where your fingers form a note is called the "fingerboard." An acoustic guitar has a hollow body that vibrates with warm sound when you pluck or strum the strings, and an electric guitar is solid and plugs into an amplifier that projects the sound. The word guitar comes from the Spanish guitarra, which has its roots in the Greek kithara, a lyre-like stringed instrument.

Example Sentences

“First Star of the Night” is one of several tracks with meter shifts and guitar tracery that give it a slightly jazzy edge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

“At first there was no guitar player — it was just him on bass and me on drums.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

The original song, as released, is straightforward folk, just the Boss and his acoustic guitar.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

"One of my recent tricks is to find any weird chord that may intrigue me," plucking the opening notes of As You Lie There on an acoustic guitar.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

I run my guitar pick up and down the strings.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith