pedal steel

noun

variants or pedal steel guitar
plural pedal steels or pedal steel guitars
: a box-shaped electric steel guitar with legs that has usually 10 strings which can be altered in pitch by the use of pedals and which are plucked while being pressed with a movable steel bar
[Ben] Keith broke into the business playing pedal steel on Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" …Kevin Dettmar
compare hawaiian guitar, lap steel

Examples of pedal steel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s pedal steel on two of these three new songs. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024 Saxophones and slick pedal steel make the journey a lot easier to stomach. Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 The track features the two musicians trading lines, supported by Russ Pahl’s gorgeous pedal steel. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, guest musicians on the upcoming album include Raphael Lanois on pedal steel, and former Doors drummer John Densmore and Magatte Sow on percussion. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pedal steel 

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedal steel was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near pedal steel

Cite this Entry

“Pedal steel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedal%20steel. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!