gusla

noun gus·la

variants: or gusle or gousle or less commonly guzla \ˈgü|slə, ˈgu̇|, |zlə\

Definition of gusla

plural -s

: a rudimentary musical instrument of the Balkans made with a round concave body, parchment sounding board, and one horsehair string and held between the knees and played with a curved bow

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of gusla

Serbo-Croatian gusle; akin to Bulgarian gŭsla gusla, Russian gusli gusli, Old Slavic gǫsli psaltery, Russian gudet' to sound, drone, Lithuanian gausti