stringed instrument

Other forms: stringed instruments

Definitions of stringed instrument

1. noun

   a musical instrument in which taut strings provide the source of sound
   types:

   banjo

   a stringed instrument of the guitar family that has long neck and circular body

   bowed stringed instrument, string

   stringed instruments that are played with a bow

   chordophone

   a stringed instrument of the group including harps, lutes, lyres, and zithers

   clavichord

   an early stringed instrument like a piano but with more delicate sound

   Klavier, clavier

   a stringed instrument that has a keyboard

   dulcimer

   a stringed instrument used in American folk music; an elliptical body and a fretted fingerboard and three strings

   guitar

   a stringed instrument usually having six strings; played by strumming or plucking

   koto

   Japanese stringed instrument that resembles a zither; has a rectangular wooden sounding board and usually 13 silk strings that are plucked with the fingers

   forte-piano, piano, pianoforte

   a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

   psaltery

   an ancient stringed instrument similar to the lyre or zither but having a trapezoidal sounding board under the strings

   samisen, shamisen

   a Japanese stringed instrument resembling a banjo with a long neck and three strings and a fretted fingerboard and a rectangular soundbox; played with a plectrum

   sitar

   a stringed instrument of India; has a long neck and movable frets; has 6 or 7 metal strings for playing and usually 13 resonating strings

   cither, zither, zithern

   a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers

   acoustic guitar

   sound is not amplified by electrical means

   balalaika

   a stringed instrument that has a triangular body and three strings

   bass fiddle, bass viol, bull fiddle, contrabass, double bass, string bass

   largest and lowest member of the violin family

   bass guitar

   the guitar with (usually four) strings that has the lowest pitch

   cello, violoncello

   a large stringed instrument; seated player holds it upright while playing

   cither, cithern, citole, cittern, gittern

   a 16th century musical instrument resembling a guitar with a pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings

   dulcimer

   a trapezoidal zither whose metal strings are struck with light hammers

   electric guitar

   a guitar whose sound is amplified by electrical means

   grand, grand piano

   a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame; usually supported by three legs

   harp

   a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers

   cembalo, harpsichord

   a clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots

   Hawaiian guitar, steel guitar

   guitar whose steel strings are twanged while being pressed with a movable steel bar for a glissando effect

   lute

   chordophone consisting of a plucked instrument having a pear-shaped body, a usually bent neck, and a fretted fingerboard

   mandolin

   a stringed instrument related to the lute, usually played with a plectrum

   Pianola, mechanical piano, player piano

   a mechanically operated piano that uses a roll of perforated paper to activate the keys

   uke, ukulele

   a small guitar having four strings

   upright, upright piano

   a piano with a vertical sounding board

   viol

   any of a family of bowed stringed instruments that preceded the violin family

   viola

   a bowed stringed instrument slightly larger than a violin, tuned a fifth lower

   fiddle, violin

   bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

   type of:

   instrument, musical instrument

   any of various devices or contrivances that can be used to produce musical tones or sounds