Zither
//ˈzɪ.ðə// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings placed on a horizontal surface, played with a plectrum or fingertips.
- 2 a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers wordnet
- 3 Related or similar instruments in other cultures, such as the Chinese guqin or Norwegian harpeleik; especially any chordophone without a neck, and with strings that pass over the body.
Verb
- 1 To play a zither.
"[…] the fluting began again. Not alone this time, but, to Rosalie’s infinite surprise, accompanied on a zither. […] At this moment the fluting and zithering began again."
- 2 To make a sound similar to that made by a zither; to move while making such a sound.
"c. 1890, May Ostlere, Dead! London: Trischler, Chapter 3, p. 76, Now [the wind] swithered through the badly-fixed windows, making zithering sounds as of an army of cold and frozen-out mosquitoes […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"Is the zither a hard instrument to learn?"
Etymology
Borrowed from German Zither, from Old High German zithara, from Latin cithara, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα (kithára, “a kind of harp”). Doublet of cithara, cither, and guitar.
Related phrases
More for "zither"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.