Definitions
01musical instrument
A1 · Beginner Countable noun Music
n. a musical instrument with six strings and a long neck, played by plucking the strings.
n. a chordophone with a fretted fingerboard and typically six strings, played by plucking or strumming with the fingers or a plectrum.
日本語:ギター※
“He started learning the guitar when he was ten years old.”
“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.
02to play the guitar
C1 · Advanced Music Informal
v. to play the guitar, especially in a casual way.
v. to perform on or play the guitar; used as an intransitive verb in informal contexts.
“We spent the whole evening singing and guitaring around the campfire.”
“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.
Synonyms
Etymology
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
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/guitar
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR