chitarrone

[ kee-tuh-roh-ney; Italian kee-tahr-raw-ne ]

noun

, plural chi·tar·ro·ni [kee-t, uh, -, roh, -nee].

1. an early musical stringed instrument of the lute family with a long neck and two pegboxes, one above the other.

chitarrone

/ ˌkɪtɑːˈrəʊnɪ; ˌtʃɪt- /

noun

1. a large lute with a double neck in common use during the baroque period, esp in Italy

Word History and Origins

Origin of chitarrone¹

1730–40; < Italian, augmentative of chitarra < Greek kithára lyre

Word History and Origins

Origin of chitarrone¹

Italian, from chitarra, from Greek kithara lyre

Example Sentences

Gardiner came equipped with a large orchestra of extravagant period instruments, including four chitarrone, which are lutes with dramatically long necks.

From Los Angeles Times

There were fine contributions, too, from colleagues including Carla Moore on violin, Erin Headley, Josh Lee, and Elizabeth Reed on violas da gamba, Curtis Daily on violone, Jillon Stoppels Dupree on organ, and Stubbs himself on the lute’s long-necked cousin, the chitarrone.

From Seattle Times

Johnnie took up a chitarrone, the archlute, a large, double-necked Spanish instrument, which lay upon a marble table by his side in the courtyard.

From Project Gutenberg

The choirs and directors were originators of the performances, but they always needed two cornetto players, a chitarrone player, two solo tenors and two sopranos who had the necessary coloratura.

From Seattle Times

In Prelude to a Concert, the central musician is tuning but not playing his theorbo, or chitarrone, a long business that slightly frays the patience of his fellow musicians.

From Time Magazine Archive