koto

[koh-toh; Japanese kaw-taw]

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.

Origin of koto

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1785–95

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for koto

Contemporary Examples of 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

Historical Examples of koto

Koto cried, and I knew he had leaped to the same conclusion I had.
The Winged Men of Orcon
David R. Sparks
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
I flung myself over to Koto's side to help him with the gun.
The Winged Men of Orcon
David R. Sparks
Then I turned to Koto and in the dark waved a fist under his nose.
The Winged Men of Orcon
David R. Sparks
I felt that Koto's chances of getting back to us were one in a thousand.
The Winged Men of Orcon
David R. Sparks

British Dictionary definitions for koto

koto

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