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ukulele
or u·ke·le·le
[ yoo-kuh-ley-lee; Hawaiian oo-koo-ley-ley ]
/ ˌyu kəˈleɪ li; Hawaiian ˌu kʊˈleɪ leɪ /
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noun
a small, guitarlike musical instrument associated chiefly with Hawaiian music.
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Origin of ukulele
1895–1900, Americanism;<Hawaiian ʿukulele leaping flea (ʿuku flea + lele to jump, leap), a nickname given to British army officer Edward Purvis (who popularized the instrument at the court of King Kalakaua), in reference to his lively playing style
Words nearby ukulele
ukiyo-e, UK Overseas Territory, Ukr., Ukraine, Ukrainian, ukulele, UL, ʿulama, ulan, Ulan Bator, Ulanova
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use ukulele in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ukulele
ukulele
ukelele
/ (ˌjuːkəˈleɪlɪ) /
noun
a small four-stringed guitar, esp of Hawaii
Word Origin for ukulele
C19: from Hawaiian, literally: jumping flea, from `uku flea + lele jumping
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for ukulele
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.