samisen

[ sam-uh-sen ]

/ ˈsæm əˌsɛn /

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noun

a guitarlike Japanese musical instrument having an extremely long neck and three strings, played with a plectrum.

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Origin of samisen

1610–20; <Japanese <Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese sānxia three-string banjo

Words nearby samisen

Samhita, Sami, Samian, Samian ware, samiel, samisen, samite, samiti, samizdat, Saml., samlet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use samisen in a sentence

One took her samisen and sang; and people crowded into the tiny yard to hear.
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 2|Elizabeth Bisland
After supper the sparrow danced, whilst his grandmother played the samisen and the good old man beat time.
Japanese Fairy Tales|Grace James
The samisen is a kind of small banjo, and probably originated in the Chinese kin.
Critical & Historical Essays|Edward MacDowell
The samisen players are older and they dress more plainly in black or plain blue, the drum players are young and gay colored.
Letters from China and Japan|John Dewey

He used to carry a samisen about with him when he was a child—he and little Yon, Baron Mutsu's daughter.
The Way of the Gods|John Luther Long

British Dictionary definitions for samisen

samisen

/ (ˈsæmɪˌsɛn) /

noun

a variant of shamisen

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