bouzouki

or bou·sou·ki, bu·zu·ki

[ boo-zoo-kee ]

noun

, plural bou·zou·kis, bou·zou·ki·a [b, oo, -, zoo, -kee-, uh].

1. a long-necked, fretted lute of modern Greece.

bouzouki

/ buːˈzuːkɪ /

noun

1. a Greek long-necked stringed musical instrument related to the mandolin

Word History and Origins

Origin of bouzouki¹

1950–55; < Modern Greek mpouzoúki; Turkish bozuk (broken, ruined, depraved; bashi-bazouk ) or büzük (constricted, puckered) adduced as sources, but sense development is obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of bouzouki¹

C20: from Modern Greek mpouzouki , perhaps from Turkish büjük large

Example Sentences

To admirers who flocked to readings where the white-maned poet also played a bouzouki, he was a bard of irresistible charisma.

From Washington Post

Bly, a shambling white-haired guru who strummed a bouzouki and wore colorful vests, was easily mocked as Iron John himself, a hairy wild man who, in the German myth, helped aimless princes in their quests.

From Seattle Times

“I got my Greek bouzouki and my Irish bouzouki, but I didn’t get my Russian balalaika or my Turkish oud,” he said.

From New York Times

The next thing I knew we were dancing full tilt to the bouzouki music, just the two of us, while the crowd made a ring around us, clapping in rhythm and egging us on.

From The New Yorker

The songs, often about tragic love, balance a singer’s raw drama with the exquisite high counterpoint of the 12-stringed Portuguese guitarra, which can sound like a harpsichord or a bouzouki.

From New York Times