balalaika
/ˌbaləˈlʌɪkə
/noun
A Russian musical instrument like a guitar with a triangular body and typically three strings.All the chorus writing, including some clarinet-led boat music in which strings imitate a balalaika, a wedding song that yields to anguish, some vigorous, aggressive Polish bravado, and the noble imperial finale, is dramatic and vivid....
- You can hear every pure delightful twang and warble of every guitar, gadulka, balalaika and harp and in a couple of tracks a clarinet cuts the melody with a compelling slice of romance.
- Now he straightened his embroidered jerkin and fluffed his lace cuffs with a fastidious air, and the strings of the balalaika on his back sang gently as he shrugged.
Origin
Late 18th century: from Russian, of Tatar origin.
Rhymes
- vegetable leather
- vegetable marrow
- vegetable mercury
- vegetable oil
- vegetable oyster
- vegetable parchment
- vegetable pear
- vegetable sheep
- vegetable shortening
- vegetable silk
- vegetable spaghetti
- vegetable sponge
- vegetable stone
- vegetable sulfur
- vegetable sulphur
- vegetable tallow
- vegetable vellum
- vegetable wax
- vegetable wool
- vegetabley
- vegetablization
- vegetablize
- vegetably
- vegetal
- vegetally