sambuca

¹

[ sam-byoo-kuh ]

noun

1. Also sam·buke [] an ancient stringed musical instrument used in Greece and the Middle East.
2. a medieval hurdy-gurdy.

sambuca

²

[ sam-boo-kuh; Italian sahm-boo-kah ]

noun

1. a licorice-flavored Italian liqueur made from elderberries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sambuca¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English sambuke, from Latin sambūca, from Greek sambȳ́kē, perhaps from Semitic; compare Aramaic sabbəkhā

Origin of sambuca²

First recorded in 1970–75; from Italian, feminine derivative of sambuco “elder (tree),” from Latin sa(m)būcus

Example Sentences

The sambuca seems to have been a large harp, which rested on the ground, like the harps of the Egyptians.

From Project Gutenberg

The name is remarkable, as Athenæus describes the musical instrument sambuca as resembling a ship with a ladder placed over it.

From Project Gutenberg

Among them are the Psaltery of various shapes, the Sambuca or sackbut, the single and double Chorus, &c.

From Project Gutenberg

A man with a table, Sambuca and Acqua-vita bottles on it, and wee glasses, one cent a drink: melodrama.

From Project Gutenberg