noun
zither
ZITH-er/ˈzɪðər/
A musical instrument with strings stretched across a flat soundboard.
The musician plucks the strings of a zither on the table.
Etymology
Kithara named an ancient lyre-like instrument. As stringed instruments developed into different local varieties, versions of its name survived in words including both zither and guitar.
In context
Sternenhoch opera is especially great for this instrument, as it is the very first larger music piece where zither is continuously given such a big space.
More examples
- She tunes her zither before the concert.
- The melody sounds gentle when played on a zither.
- The music shop sells zithers and replacement strings.
Forms
zither · zithers