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.

mbila (def. 1).

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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

mbaqanga, mbd, MBE, Mbeki, mbila, mbira, Mbm, MBO, Mboya, Mbps, Mbuji-Mayi

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