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oud

American  
[ood] / ud /

noun

  1. a musical instrument of the Middle East and northern Africa belonging to the lute family.


oud British  
/ uːd /

noun

  1. an Arabic stringed musical instrument resembling a lute or mandolin

"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

Etymology

Origin of oud

1730–40; < Arabic ʿūd literally, wood; see lute 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A cologne with notes of violet, oud and cinnamon ensures he’ll leave a lasting impression long after he’s left a room.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 12, 2026

Altogether, the Gaza branch of the Conservatory used to have more than 400 instruments - both Western classical ones and traditional Arabic instruments such as the oud, qanun and nay, a type of flute.

From BBC Oct. 25, 2024

His grandfather was one of the first percussionists in the area and his grandmother played the oud, a lute-like stringed musical instrument common in the Middle East and Africa.

From Seattle Times May 13, 2024

But throughout his career he showed a knack for wringing emotion not only from the violin, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer and autoharp, but also from the Indian tanpura, the Middle Eastern oud and the Turkish saz.

From New York Times Mar. 7, 2023

I feel like weeping and focus on holding the oud tightly under my arm.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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