koto

[ koh-toh; Japanese kaw-taw ]

/ ˈkoʊ toʊ; Japanese ˈkɔˈtɔ /

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 kinabalu, kotabaru, kotahitanga, kotare, kotch, koto, kotow, kotte, kotuku, kotukutuku, kotwal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for koto

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 was looking at me wide-eyed, and I saw that his interest was as keen as my own.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks
But you know there was another fire out Koto way last night, and it spoiled some lovely trees.
The Girl Scouts at Sea Crest|Lillian Garis
A Malay man and woman taken by our people report that the enemy thirteen days ago had proceeded two days march beyond Koto Tuggoh.
The History of Sumatra|William Marsden

I felt that Koto's chances of getting back to us were one in a thousand.
The Winged Men of Orcon|David R. Sparks
Behind it shadows were moving—shadows of women;—and suddenly the music of a koto rippled into the night.
The Romance of the Milky Way|Lafcadio Hearn

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