guitar

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

guitarist

2 of 2

noun (2)

gui·​tar·​ist -tärə̇st 

-tȧr-

plural -s

: one who performs on the guitar

Examples of guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Those guitars on the bridge are the most beautiful thing he’s ever done. — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Steve Schiltz took Valensi’s place, playing rhythm guitar on the group’s Reality Awaits Tour, which wrapped earlier in September. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026

Their guitarist has pulled out and Burnham, a guitar player himself, can step in. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026

Throughout his career, James has gone into acting as well as following in his dad’s footsteps in music, singing and playing guitar in the punk-rock band Turbogeist. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1668, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing guitar

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

Rhymes for guitar

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• alvar
• 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

Noun

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