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

The rhythm section plays duck-and-dodge with the post-punk guitar, building up the tension. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026

The bottom floor holds two Ferraris, three Porsches, a race car, vintage motorcycles and guitars, along with a full bathroom and a dining area. —Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026

The producer grew up playing mostly bass, with his other siblings on guitar and percussion, and his father on keys. —Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026

After three years in the Eurovision wilderness, Romania makes a loud-and-proud comeback with a propulsive blend of nu-metal guitars, angsty melodies, and operatic trills worthy of a hand-horn salute. —Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026

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
• 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

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