guitar

American  

[gi-tahr] / gɪˈtɑr /

noun

• guitars
  plural

1. a stringed musical instrument with a long, fretted neck, a flat, somewhat violinlike body, and typically six strings, which are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum.

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guitar British  

/ ɡɪˈtɑː /

noun

1. music a plucked stringed instrument originating in Spain, usually having six strings, a flat sounding board with a circular sound hole in the centre, a flat back, and a fretted fingerboard. Range: more than three octaves upwards from E on the first leger line below the bass staff See also electric guitar bass guitar Hawaiian guitar

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guitar Cultural  

1. A stringed musical instrument (see strings) usually played by strumming or plucking. Guitars are widely used in folk music and, often amplified electronically, in country and western music and rock 'n' roll.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• guitarist
  noun
• guitar-like
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• guitars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of guitar

1615–25; < Spanish guitarra < Arabic kītārah ≪ Greek kithára kithara

Explanation

A guitar is a musical instrument with a long neck and strings. When you play the guitar, you press the strings with one hand to make a note, and strum with the other hand (unless, of course, you are playing air guitar). The section of a guitar where your fingers form a note is called the "fingerboard." An acoustic guitar has a hollow body that vibrates with warm sound when you pluck or strum the strings, and an electric guitar is solid and plugs into an amplifier that projects the sound. The word guitar comes from the Spanish guitarra, which has its roots in the Greek kithara, a lyre-like stringed instrument.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guitar guitars

Scialfa, who provides backing vocals and plays tambourine and guitar, married Springsteen in 1991.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Hansard's life was steeped in music, from first picking up a guitar as a teenager right until the final hours of his life, when he was performing in a traditional music session.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

After he got his first real guitar, he enrolled in art school, both as a concession to his folks and as a way to buy himself more practice time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Later, at his friend's urging, Morrison passed his guitar to Hansard to play then promptly walked out of the room.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

As Wynn’s Chevy lurched to a stop, he pushed a few buttons and a slide guitar intro began for what I could only guess was Brent Chisholm’s duet with Momma.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

“It’s just that I needed more space. So I made a few guitars that widened the headboard” to give his fingers additional room to work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

I groaned as strumming Spanish guitars played underneath a cheerful introduction welcoming me to the “Jewel of the Missions” — a slogan that boosters coined decades ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

You can almost hear the eagles scream, guitars riff and engines rev.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

It’s time to put down the orange slices, stop singing “Country Roads” and send in the electric guitars with briefcases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

A group of men played guitars and beat drums while everyone sang in Portuguese.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova