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sambuca
1[ sam-byoo-kuh ]
/ sæmˈbyu kə /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
Also sam·buke [sam-byook]. /ˈsæm byuk/. an ancient stringed musical instrument used in Greece and the Near East.
a medieval hurdy-gurdy.
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Origin of sambuca
11350–1400; Middle English sambuke<Latin sambūca<Greek sambȳ́kē perhaps <Semitic; compare Aramaic sabbəkhā
Words nearby sambuca
sambal, sambar, sambo, Sambre, Sam Browne belt, sambuca, same, same difference, same here, samekh, sameness
Other definitions for sambuca (2 of 2)
sambuca2
[ sam-boo-kuh; Italian sahm-boo-kah ]
/ sæmˈbu kə; Italian sɑmˈbu kɑ /
noun
a licorice-flavored Italian liqueur made from elderberries.
Origin of sambuca
21970–75; <Italian, feminine derivative of sambuco elder <Latin sa(m)būcus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use sambuca in a sentence
The sambuca seems to have been a large harp, which rested on the ground, like the harps of the Egyptians.
The name is remarkable, as Athenæus describes the musical instrument sambuca as resembling a ship with a ladder placed over it.
The Sailor's Word-Book|William Henry SmythAmong them are the Psaltery of various shapes, the Sambuca or sackbut, the single and double Chorus, &c.
Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages|Edward Lewes CuttsA man with a table, Sambuca and Acqua-vita bottles on it, and wee glasses, one cent a drink: melodrama.