ukulele

or u·ke·le·le

[ yoo-kuh-ley-lee; Hawaiian. oo-koo-ley-ley ]
/ ˌyu kəˈleɪ li; Hawaiian. ˌu kʊˈleɪ leɪ /

noun

a small, guitarlike musical instrument associated chiefly with Hawaiian music.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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, ukr., ukraina, ukraine, ukrainian, ukulele, ul, ulama, ulan, ulan bator, ulan ude
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for ukulele

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for ukulele

ukulele
[ (yooh-kuh-lay-lee) ]

A small guitar, developed in Hawaii, with four strings.

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.