ZITHER


Meaning of ZITHER in English

I. ˈzithə(r), ˈzithə(r) noun

also zit·tern ˈzid.ə(r)n

( -s )

Etymology: zither from German, from Old High German zitera, cithara cittern, from Latin cithara, from Greek kithara; zittern alteration (influenced by cittern ) of zither

: a musical instrument consisting of a shallow soundboard set horizontally before the performer and overlaid with 30 to 40 strings some of which pass over a fretted fingerboard, are stopped with the left hand, and are played by a plectrum on the right thumb to produce the melody and the remainder of which are tuned in fourths and plucked by the fingers of the right hand — compare cittern

[s]zither.jpg[/s]

II. intransitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

: to play on the zither

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.