sitar

[ si-tahr ]

noun

1. a lute of India with a small, pear-shaped body and a long, broad, fretted neck.

sitar

/ ˈsɪtɑː; sɪˈtɑː /

noun

1. a stringed musical instrument, esp of India, having a long neck, a rounded body, and movable frets. The main strings, three to seven in number, overlie other sympathetic strings, the tuning depending on the raga being performed

Derived Forms

• siˈtarist, noun

Other Words From

• si·tarist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sitar¹

First recorded in 1835–45, sitar is from the Hindi word sitār

Word History and Origins

Origin of sitar¹

from Hindi sitār, literally: three-stringed

Example Sentences

First up, he got interested in Indian music and took lessons on sitar from Ravi Shankar.

From The Daily Beast

Paul McCartney wrote a few sentimental ballads, Harrison learned sitar.

From The Daily Beast

Legendary Lovers” has her cooing at her man over sitar backing to “say my name like a scripture.

From The Daily Beast

Motee sang again; but the accompaniment was wild and irregular, and the Khan at last threw down the sitar.

From Project Gutenberg

Sitar placed the two girls side by side and drew off to survey her work.

From Project Gutenberg

Returning to the others, they found Dorothy and Sitar deep in conversation.

From Project Gutenberg

She took the light silver-studded sitar and began a song of the great hero Rajah Rasalu.

From Project Gutenberg

Blanche brought her sitar and handed it to Chaudoreille, who raised his eyes to Heaven and heaved a big sigh as he took it.

From Project Gutenberg