sitar

noun

si·​tar si-ˈtär How to pronounce sitar (audio)
ˈsi-ˌtär
: an Indian lute with a long neck and a varying number of strings
sitarist
si-ˈtär-ist How to pronounce sitar (audio)
ˈsi-ˌtär-
noun

Illustration of sitar

Illustration of sitar

Examples of sitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The wide streak of hippie-trail Orientalism in ambient music (all those sitars!) is almost structural, a product of messy, unequal encounters between European modernism and the rest of the world. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 Featuring live music from sitar player Ami Dang, the event invited residents to interact with the art using flashlights, creating a constantly shifting landscape of light and color. Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2024 Their Studio City home features guitars, pianos, sitars, drums, ukuleles, and more. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 June 2024 Photographed by Damien Maloney A sitar sits underneath a hat rack. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for sitar 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sitar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu sitār, from Persian, a three-stringed lute, from sih three + tār string, thread

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sitar was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near sitar

Cite this Entry

“Sitar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sitar. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sitar

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