guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär 

gi-,

 especially Southern and Midland US also  ˈgi-ˌtär

: a flat-bodied stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and usually six strings played with a pick or with the fingers

guitarist

gə-ˈtär-ist 

gi-

noun

Illustration of guitar

• 1 electric
• 2 acoustic

Examples of guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Osbourne was one of the founding members of Black Sabbath, an English rock band whose loud, distorted guitars and lyrics focusing on occult subject matter built their reputation as one of the first heavy metal bands. —Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Wellington is joined by Jonah Howard (guitar), Ella Jordan (fiddle), and Nate Sabat (bass). —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 July 2025

The exhibit also features her first guitar, a Fender acoustic that her father gave her. —Nancy Kruh, People.com, 19 July 2025

Usually the performances are acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by a singer, during mostly Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French guitare, from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic qītār, from Greek kithara cithara

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing guitar

• air guitar
• bottleneck guitar
• Hawaiian guitar
• lap steel guitar
• pedal steel guitar
• resonator guitar
• resophonic guitar
• steel guitar

Rhymes for guitar

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar

Kids Definition

guitar

noun

gui·​tar gə-ˈtär 

: a stringed instrument with a flat body, a long neck with frets, and usually six strings that are played with the fingers or with a pick

guitarist

-əst 

noun

Etymology

from French guitare "guitar," derived from Arabic qītār (same meaning)