ukulele

American  

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

Or ukelele

noun

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

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ukulele British  

/ ˌjuːkəˈleɪlɪ /

noun

1. a small four-stringed guitar, esp of Hawaii

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ukulele Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of ukulele

1895–1900, < 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

Explanation

The happy little Hawaiian stringed instrument that looks like a small guitar is a ukulele. Most ukuleles have four strings and are light enough to be strummed by anyone, including kids. The ukulele, or uke, as it's frequently called for short, comes in four standard sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and even more less-common variations. The larger the uke, the deeper and louder its sound. Some ukuleles are even double-strung, with a total of eight strings. A good ukulele player's fingers move extremely fast, which explains its name, which means "leaping flea" in Hawaiian.