ukulele

noun

uku·​le·​le ˌyü-kə-ˈlā-lē How to pronounce ukulele (audio)
ˌü-
variants or less commonly ukelele
: a small guitar of Portuguese origin popularized in Hawaii in the 1880s and strung typically with four strings

Illustration of ukulele

Illustration of ukulele

Examples of ukulele 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.
Its lo-fi sound, full of ukulele and tape loops, fit squarely in the era’s analog ideals. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024 Around him were homemade homages, given to him by fans — Svengoolie skateboards, latch-hook rugs, nutcrackers, pumpkins, Legos, tin-can puppets, ukuleles, Hello Kitty dolls, Trolls, paintings, guitars. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Oct. 2024 Your outstanding balance can be cleared – the only exception is charges related to STEAM science kits, ukuleles and/or Chromebooks. —Andrea Manes, Orange County Register, 26 Sep. 2024 Sportswriters of the day were charmed by the swimmer who played the ukulele and made his own surfboards. —Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for ukulele 

Word History

Etymology

Hawaiian ʽukulele, from ʽuku flea + lele jumping

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ukulele was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near ukulele

uku

ukulele

UL

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ukulele.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ukulele. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

ukulele

noun
uku·​le·​le
ˌyü-kə-ˈlā-lē,
ˌü-
: a usually four-stringed small guitar popularized in Hawaii
Etymology

from Hawaiian ʽukulele "ukulele," literally, "jumping flea," from ʽuku "flea" + lele "jumping"

Word Origin
In the 19th century, a former British army officer named Edward Purvis lived in Hawaii as an official at the royal court. Purvis is said to have been given the Hawaiian nickname of ʽukulele, which means "jumping flea," because he was small and lively. In 1879 Portuguese immigrants arrived in the Hawaiian Islands. They brought several of their native instruments, among them a small four-stringed guitar. Purvis liked this new instrument. He quickly learned to play it. In time the small guitar became a favorite, and it took the nickname of the man who had made it popular.

More from Merriam-Webster on ukulele

Nglish: Translation of ukulele for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ukulele

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...