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mbira

[ uhm-beer-uh ]
/ əmˈbɪər ə /
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noun
a traditional musical instrument of Zimbabwe and Malawi, usually consisting of a resonating box to which vibrating metal or wooden strips are attached for plucking.

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Also Older Use, am·bi·ra [am-beer-uh] /æmˈbɪər ə/ .

Origin of mbira

First recorded in1905–10; from Shona; see also marimba, mbila, thumb piano

Words nearby mbira

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

British Dictionary definitions for mbira

mbira
/ (əmˈbiːrə) /

noun
an African musical instrument consisting of tuned metal strips attached to a resonating box, which are plucked with the thumbsAlso called: thumb piano

Word Origin for mbira

Shona
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
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