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

• 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

Until recently, she was known mostly within Shillong's close-knit music circles, in a city better known for rock bands, church choirs and old guitar legends than hip-hop.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

No idea, but shortly thereafter another post appeared: A clip of Ricky Nelson singing and playing guitar, taken from an episode of “Ozzie & Harriet.”

From Salon • May 12, 2026

“Natural Disaster,” which features a guest verse from Lucinda Williams and guitar from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, is one of a few tracks that stretches beyond pop-song length.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

You pick up the guitar to play and then a bunch of guys sit down next to you and they’re like, “Oh, can we jam?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Dalton lumbers by carrying a box of guitar and microphone cords.

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