koto

[ koh-toh; Japanese kaw-taw ]

/ ˈkoʊ toʊ; Japanese ˈkɔˈtɔ /

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noun, plural ko·tos, ko·to.

a Japanese musical instrument having numerous strings, usually seven or thirteen, that are stretched over a convex wooden sounding board and are plucked with three plectra, worn on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.

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Origin of koto

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1785–95

Words nearby koto

Kota Bharu, kotahitanga, Kota Kinabalu, kotare, kotch, koto, Kotte, kotuku, kotukutuku, kotwal, kotwali

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use koto in a sentence

She took the title after fellow Japanese Koto Okubo passed away on Jan. 12, 2013, at the age of 115 years and 19 days.
The Top 13 Guinness World Records of 2013: Kim Kardashian, ‘Breaking Bad,’ Colonel Meow & More||December 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Koto, Leider's found means of protecting both raw materials and living beings against the atomic gun!
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks
Koto's face was drawn, and Virginia Crane was staring in horrified fascination at the gun.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks
Virginia Crane cried as I presented her and Koto with my struggling but helpless prize.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks

Captain Crane and Koto were making weak, despairing signs at me from the entrance to the control room.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks
I felt really sure that the guards were not armed with some mysterious weapon we could not see, and Koto felt the same.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks

British Dictionary definitions for koto

koto

/ (ˈkəʊtəʊ) /

noun plural kotos

a Japanese stringed instrument, consisting of a rectangular wooden body over which are stretched silk strings, which are plucked with plectrums or a nail-like device

Word Origin for koto

Japanese

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