banjo
/ˈbandʒəʊ
/noun (plural banjos or banjoes)
1A stringed instrument of the guitar family, with a round open-backed soundbox of parchment stretched over a metal hoop.Baxter is probably best known as the ace pedal steel, banjo, dobro, guitar, all-'round musical utility guy for Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and Ryan Adams....
- Strings, guitars, banjo, tambourine, French horn, harp, clarinet, accordion, drums and chanting contribute to Arcade Fire's intensely deep but totally palatable fusion of sounds.
- Musically, the album isn't afraid of drawing on different instruments, from mouth organs to banjos, to acoustic guitars and piano.
1.1An object resembling a banjo in shape: [as modifier]: a banjo clock...
- The variant of the Willard patent banjo clock shown in Plates IX and IXa is inscribed ‘DANIEL / MUNROE’ on the lower glass.
- Dating from between about 1795 and 1800, it has a dial signed by David Wood of Newbusyport, Massachusetts, who also made tall-case and banjo clocks.
- Positively sealed by O-rings, the banjo design allows 360 degrees rotation of the regular for ideal positioning.
1.2Australian /NZ dated A shovel.
Phrases
swing the banjo
Derivatives
banjoist
/ noun ...- The son of noted artist George Grosz, Marty is a 74-year-old vocalist, guitarist and banjoist, and these are two feel-good CDs from 1995 and 2000-01, respectively.
- Even former band member, banjoist Alison Brown, doesn't get a look in on the track she co-wrote with Krauss, ‘This Sad Song’.
- An accomplished fiddler / banjoist / guitarist, he also played a number of instrumentals for the appreciative crowd.
Origin
Mid 18th century: originally a black American alteration of bandore (see bandora).