guitar

American  

[gi-tahr] / gɪˈtɑr /

noun

guitars plural

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 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

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• guitarist
  noun
• guitar-like
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• guitars
  plural

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

See Examples For:

guitar guitars

Alone on guitar, Mr. Richman sings effusively on “Springtime” about the season’s spiritual impact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Today, you can still summon an entire generation with the opening guitar melody.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

After getting a pep talk from Ted Lasso and his assistant coach Beard, Bieber changed the pace of the otherwise energetic performances with an acoustic guitar version of 'Everything Hallelujah'.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

But when he observed it swirling rapidly rather than spreading out as dry ice would, he dropped his guitar, jumped off stage and started running.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Nhamo had never seen a guitar, and the music took her breath away.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

“Dine N’ Dash,” “Going to Babble On,” “Lonely in the Future” — it’s pure pleasure to hear the guitars in these songs slashing away over a rhythm section as crisp and nimble as this one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

The rhythm section of bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Watts locks in, while Richards and Wood converse with their guitars as only they can.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

It’s time to put down the orange slices, stop singing “Country Roads” and send in the electric guitars with briefcases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

These included $4.7m in royalties from Trump-branded watches, along with Trump-branded Bibles, trainers, fragrances and guitars.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

But as soon as a tour called his name, he’d pack up two of his three road guitars, his alligator boots, his fancy show vests, and his brown porkpie hat.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia