Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

klezmer

American  
[klez-mer] / ˈklɛz mər /

noun

  • klezmorim
    plural
  1. a Jewish folk musician traditionally performing in a small band.

  2. Also klezmer music. the type of music performed by such musicians.


klezmer British  
/ ˈklɛzmə /

noun

  1. a Jewish folk musician, usually a member of a small band

  2. Also called: klezmer music. the music performed by such a band

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of klezmer

From Yiddish


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.

See Examples For:

Before their flight to Moscow, she and her fellow klezmer players—Hankus Netsky, Jeff Warschauer and Rosalie Gerut—were schooled in the ways of the Soviet security services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

In May, Strange Brew called off a concert by London group Oi Va Voi, who bill themselves as a modern folk klezmer band.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025

Musical offerings ranged from traditional klezmer performances on violin and accordion evoking the Central Europe of old to more modern shows, including psychedelic Yiddish rock.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

Musical groups touch on jazz, klezmer, reggae, polka, gospel and more, as the festivities strive to reflect Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other cultural traditions, this year delves deeper into Southern California’s Filipino and Aztec communities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2024

Hannah recognized only Shmuel and the violin player from the klezmer band.

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com