sitar

play

noun si·tar \ si-ˈtär , ˈsi-ˌtär \

Definition of sitar

:an Indian lute with a long neck and a varying number of strings

—

sitarist

play \si-ˈtär-ist, ˈsi-ˌtär-\ noun

See sitar defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of sitar from the Web

The afternoons will be more active with enrichment seminars and food and beverage tastings as well as pop-up performances by sitar players and aerialists.

— arlene satchell, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Celebrity Edge to feature modern-day Garden of Eden venue with theatrical twists," 28 June 2017
Sankaram plays the accordion and sitar, the latter picked up at 19 after her Indian grandfather gave her the instrument as a gift.

— catherine womack, latimes.com, "Her opera helps a Pakistani rape survivor find a louder voice," 14 June 2017
In the downtime, George Harrison had visited India, immersing himself self-discovery and learning the sitar.

— william goodman, Billboard, "The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's' Turns 50: Is It The Best Album Ever?," 26 May 2017
Ravi Shankar admitted that his spine was twisted into a knot from years of sitting in front of that sitar.

— john densmore, latimes.com, "Exclusive: Doors drummer John Densmore on 'Chasing Trane' and the price musicians pay chasing their art," 29 Apr. 2017
Langhorne’s inventive score braids sitar, banjo, and fiddle into something as lonesome and foreboding as the Southwest itself.

— amanda petrusich, The New Yorker, "Farewell to the Tambourine Man," 20 Apr. 2017
The performances were organized by the former Beatle George Harrison and the sitar master Ravi Shankar, who enlisted top-rung musicians like Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston and another former Beatle, Ringo Starr.

— clyde haberman, New York Times, "Philanthropy That Comes From a Click," 13 Nov. 2016
The free show (2-6pm; Columbus Park, corner of Mulberry & Worth Streets) features music ranging from hip hop to Bollywood, sitar to taiko, alternative rock to avant garde, and will be hosted by spoken word artist Kelly Tsai.

— todd jatras, WIRED, "Bora Yoon Headlines Free Asian Soundfest," 10 Aug. 2007

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sitar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.