definitions

mbira

[ uh m-beer-uh ]
/ əmˈbɪər ə /

noun

a musical instrument of Africa usually made out of a gourd that serves as a resonating box, to which vibrating metal or wooden strips are attached for plucking.

RELATED CONTENT

The Words That Make Us Tick: What Users Are Looking Up On Dictionary.com Every DayYou may have noticed a nifty new tool scrolling across the top of Dictionary.com. But, what makes it tick?
READ MORE

Nearby words

mbaqanga, mbc, mbd, mbe, mbeki, mbira, mbm, mbo, mbomu, mboya, mbps

Origin of mbira

Borrowed into English from Shona around 1905–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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