mandolin

noun

man·​do·​lin ˌman-də-ˈlin 

ˈman-də-lən

variants or less commonly mandoline

ˌman-də-ˈlēn 

ˈman-də-lən

1

: a musical instrument of the lute family that has a usually pear-shaped body and fretted neck and four to six pairs of strings

2

usually mandoline [French, from Italian mandolino mandolin] : a kitchen utensil with a blade for slicing and shredding

mandolinist

ˌman-də-ˈli-nist 

noun

Illustration of mandolin

• mandolin 1

Examples of mandolin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After peeling the sweet potato, run it through a mandolin or spiralizer and dry the strings thoroughly. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026

There are guys in Jubilee who play mandolin, piano, banjo, and ukulele, and one of the other men’s houses, Bonaventure, has a folk band in the mold of the Hillbilly Thomists, a Catholic cult favorite. —Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026

The Jalopy Theatre and School of Music holds sessions with ukulele, banjo, and mandolin. —The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026

The composer explains how glass instruments and a recording of a noisy bathroom faucet became the emotional backbone of the sci-fi hit On the wall of film composer Daniel Pemberton’s studio in London is a row of stringed instruments: two electric guitars, an electric bass, dobro, and mandolin. —Steve Appleford, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mandolin

• aneurin
• crystallin
• eosin
• porphyrin
• underpin
• violin
• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin

Kids Definition

mandolin

noun

man·​do·​lin ˌman-də-ˈlin 

ˈman-dᵊl-ən

variants also mandoline

ˌman-də-ˈlēn 

ˈman-dᵊl-ən

: a stringed instrument with a pear-shaped body and four to six pairs of strings played by plucking