ENGLISH
REFERENCE

guitar

n. · v.
US //ɡɪˈtɑɹ// UK //ɡɪtˈɑː// gui·tar
  1. 1 musical instrument (n.)
    A1 Beginner Music

    a musical instrument with six strings and a long neck, played by plucking the strings.

    a chordophone with a fretted fingerboard and typically six strings, played by plucking or strumming with the fingers or a plectrum.

    Example

    He started learning the guitar when he was ten years old.

    Example

    The lead guitarist spent hours tuning his instrument before the concert began to ensure the acoustic resonance was perfect for the venue.

    Pitfall
    He plays guitar very well.
    He plays the guitar very well.

    In English, we usually use 'the' before the name of a musical instrument when talking about the ability to play it.

  2. 2 to play the guitar (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Music

    to play the guitar, especially in a casual way.

    to perform on or play the guitar; used as an intransitive verb in informal contexts.

    Example

    We spent the whole evening singing and guitaring around the campfire.

    Example

    After the formal set ended, the musicians stayed on stage just guitaring for their own amusement while the roadies packed up the gear.

    Usage

    This verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
Origin

Etymology tree Ancient Greek κῐθᾰ́ρᾱ (kĭthắrā)bor. Aramaic קיתראbor. Arabic قِيثَارَة (qīṯāra)bor. Old Spanish guitarra Spanish guitarrabor. English guitar From Spanish guitarra, from Arabic قِيثَارَة (qīṯāra), from Ancient Greek κῐθᾰ́ρᾱ (kĭthắrā). Doublet of cithara, cither, and zither.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 19, 2026