Autoharp

American  

[aw-toh-hahrp] / ˈɔ toʊˌhɑrp /

Trademark.

1. a zither having buttons that when depressed damp all strings except those to be sounded, the undamped strings being strummed to produce simple chords.

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Autoharp British  

/ ˈɔːtəʊˌhɑːp /

noun

1. a zither-like musical instrument used in country-and-western music, equipped with button-controlled dampers that can prevent selected strings from sounding, thus allowing chords to be played. It is plucked with the fingers or a plectrum

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Compare meaning

How does autoharp compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• zither vs. Autoharp

Example Sentences

Ms. Harvey’s vocals rise out of a kind of bleary skiffle, with the strumming of Autoharp or distorted electric guitar above rudimentary drumbeats.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2011

There I rested and wrote for three months, intending that the proceeds of the book entitled "The Autobiography of an Autoharp" should start another home.

From Fifteen Years with the Outcast by Roberts, Fflorens