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plectrum

[ plek-truhm ]
/ ˈplɛk trəm /
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noun, plural plec·tra [plek-truh], /ˈplɛk trə/, plec·trums.
a small piece of plastic, metal, ivory, etc., for plucking the strings of a guitar, lyre, mandolin, etc.
Anatomy, Zoology. an anatomical part resembling a plectrum in shape.
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Origin of plectrum

1620–30; <Latin plēctrum<Greek plêktron
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use plectrum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plectrum

plectrum
/ (ˈplɛktrəm) /

noun plural -trums or -tra (-trÉ™)
any implement for plucking a string, such as a small piece of plastic, wood, etc, used to strum a guitar, or the quill that plucks the string of a harpsichord

Word Origin for plectrum

C17: from Latin plēctrum quill, plectrum, from Greek plektron, from plessein to strike
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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