zither

noun

zith·​er ˈzi-t͟hər How to pronounce zither (audio) -thər How to pronounce zither (audio)
: a stringed instrument having usually 30 to 40 strings over a shallow horizontal soundboard and played with pick and fingers
zitherist noun

Illustration of zither

Illustration of zither

Examples of zither 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.
The bandura is a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument that blends elements of the zither and the lute, according to the ESO website. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025 Visit favorites include the tea ceremony, hina doll display, ikebana flower arrangements, and koto (Japanese zither) performances, along with storytelling and hands-on workshops. Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Indeed, there are few Indonesian traces in East Africa besides some musical instruments like the xylophone and the zither and the Indonesian crops discussed earlier. Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 Gone, too, were their instruments: drums, flutes, gongs, two varieties of zither, and a towering mouth organ with pipes like city spires. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for zither

Word History

Etymology

German, from Old High German zitara, cithara, from Latin cithara cithara — more at cither

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zither was in 1831

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Cite this Entry

“Zither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zither. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

zither

noun
: a stringed instrument with thirty to forty tuned strings that are plucked with the fingers or with a pick

More from Merriam-Webster on zither

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