koto

American  

[koh-toh, kaw-taw] / ˈkoʊ toʊ, ˈkɔˈtɔ /

noun

kotos, plural koto plural

1. 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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koto British  

/ ˈkəʊtəʊ /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• kotos
  plural
• koto
  plural

Etymology

Origin of koto

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1785–95

Example Sentences

They wanted all their components, from June’s koto to Dan’s saxophone, to stand out yet be a part of the whole.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2022

Unusual turmoil turns out to be unusual musical love letters between Lewis and his wife, the Japanese composer and koto virtuoso Miya Masaoka.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2020

Featuring the koto, bells, flutes and other instruments, the nearly two-hour-long composition is deceptively peaceful — kind of like the virus itself.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2020

It wanders from plinking bell tones and samples of hummed notes to hints of Japanese koto into drums and synthesizers that sound like the start of a big trance buildup.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2016

This is because the Japanese usually tune the koto with the first and fifth strings in unison to facilitate the execution of certain passages in their music.

From The Tinguian Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe by Cole, Fay-Cooper