zithern

zith·er

Z0020000 (zĭth′ər, zĭth′-) also zith·ern (-ərn)n. A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp.

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[German, from Middle High German *zitter, from Old High German zitera, from Latin cithara, cithara, from Greek kitharā.]

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zith′er·ist n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

zithern - a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingerscither, zitherdulcimer - a trapezoidal zither whose metal strings are struck with light hammersstringed instrument - a musical instrument in which taut strings provide the source of sound