SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

gittern

noun
Save Word
git·​tern | \ ˈgi-tərn How to pronounce gittern (audio) \

Definition of gittern

: a medieval guitar

First Known Use of gittern

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for gittern

Middle English giterne, from Middle French guiterne, modification of Old Spanish guitarra guitar

Learn More About gittern

Time Traveler for gittern

Time Traveler

The first known use of gittern was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Dictionary Entries Near gittern

gittar

gittern

Gittite

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for gittern

Cite this Entry

“Gittern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gittern. Accessed 8 Aug. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

More from Merriam-Webster on gittern

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gittern

WORD OF THE DAY

crepuscular

Listen to the pronunciation of crepuscular

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

The Great British Vocabulary Quiz

  • union jack speech bubble
  • Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games