Illustration of mandolin
- mandolin 1
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
Examples of mandolin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mumbai, India — Inside the Maratha Mandir movie theater, audience members jump to their feet as the first notes of an iconic mandolin riff play, their bodies casting silhouettes against the opening credits of a film screened here nearly every day for 30 years.
—
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Austin had played mandolin in the Yonder Mountain String Band, one of Snider’s favorites, and Casal had performed with Snider in the group Hard Working Americans.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
The band includes long-time musicians Michael Williams (guitar and vocals), Peter Sharpe (mandolin and vocals), Lenny Bole (banjo and dobro), and Given Harrison (bass and vocals).
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In the early 1880s, mandolins were all the rage, and a wave of mandolin clubs emerged.
—Sarah Biegelsen, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
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Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Austin had played mandolin in the Yonder Mountain String Band, one of Snider’s favorites, and Casal had performed with Snider in the group Hard Working Americans.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
The band includes long-time musicians Michael Williams (guitar and vocals), Peter Sharpe (mandolin and vocals), Lenny Bole (banjo and dobro), and Given Harrison (bass and vocals).
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In the early 1880s, mandolins were all the rage, and a wave of mandolin clubs emerged.
—Sarah Biegelsen, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mandolin
Cite this Entry
“Mandolin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandolin. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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