klezmer

noun

klez·​mer ˈklez-mər How to pronounce klezmer (audio)
plural klezmorim (ˌ)klez-ˈmȯr-əm How to pronounce klezmer (audio)
1
: a Jewish instrumentalist especially of traditional eastern European music
2
: the music played by klezmorim

Examples of klezmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Family Day festivities will include a performance by Grammy-winning klezmer musicians The Klezmatics, a puppet performance by the CityParks PuppetMobile and a musical read-along by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Brownstone Brass. Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025 Noted violinist Jake Shulman-Ment will perform a klezmer concert from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at Congregation Kneseth Israel, 330 Division St., Elgin. Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025 In a similar vein, Malloy’s musical score is almost anonymously eclectic — wistful ballads, stomping pop, a smattering of EDM — but threaded through with enough strains of Russian folk and klezmer to suggest a sense of place. Houman Barekat, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2024 Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for klezmer

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish, from Hebrew kĕlēy zemer musical instruments

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of klezmer was in 1908

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Klezmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/klezmer. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

klezmer

noun
klez·​mer ˈklez-mər How to pronounce klezmer (audio)
plural klezmorim klez-ˈmȯr-əm How to pronounce klezmer (audio)
1
: a Jewish instrumentalist especially of traditional eastern European music
2
: the music played by klezmorim
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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