guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär How to pronounce guitar (audio)
gi-,
 especially Southern and Midland US also  ˈgi-ˌtär
: a flat-bodied stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and usually six strings played with a pick or with the fingers
guitarist noun

Illustration of guitar

Illustration of guitar
  • 1 electric
  • 2 acoustic

Examples of guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The guitars sound corroded and the drums feel paper thin, all while Mount Kimbie confront us with vignettes featuring intimacy-hungry characters that fight a current of loneliness and isolation. Margaret Farrell, SPIN, 12 Apr. 2024 The guitar legend and composer happily sang Sánchez’s praises last fall in a Union-Tribune interview. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024 Callahan’s baritone vocals are rich, while the guitar strums exhibit plenty of midrange body. PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024 The rise of Elvis and the band that made Hackett want to play guitar Growing up in that environment made rock ‘n’ roll feel especially liberating. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024 Benson Boone scored a massive pop breakthrough by throwing over his usual gentle piano for an electric guitar explosion. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024 The doc lifts the lid on the creation of the legendary studio, a former nightclub which had played host to Chuck Berry and BB King before its reincarnation into the recording home of the heir apparent to the guitar god throne. Callum McLennan, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024 Knoll and his staff watched as the governor threw his bill-signing pens into the audience like a musician tossing guitar picks at the end of a show, then the feed went dead. Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024 Jazz artists, like Johnny St. Cyr of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, doubled on guitar and banjo in the 1920s. Aaron Cohen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guitar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French guitare, from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic qītār, from Greek kithara cithara

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guitar was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near guitar

Cite this Entry

“Guitar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guitar. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

guitar

noun
gui·​tar gə-ˈtär How to pronounce guitar (audio)
: a stringed instrument with a flat body, a long neck with frets, and usually six strings that are played with the fingers or with a pick
guitarist noun
Etymology

from French guitare "guitar," derived from Arabic qītār (same meaning)

More from Merriam-Webster on guitar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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