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

Friedman, who also played lead guitar in the metal band Manowar, passed away in March, and the Cage is now operated by his son Jesse. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Songs blended into each other; each band member got a chance to shine and add a sax solo or an extended guitar riff. — Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026

No, the quintessential Townshend power sign was his giant circular windmill strum, arm outstretched and twirling, gathering centrifugal force to slam that pick up through the guitar strings, creating the loudest chord humanly possible. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Classical instrumentation has since become commonplace in pop, but in 1965 the combination of solo acoustic guitar and string quartet sounded startlingly unlike anything expected from a rock band. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 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)