Hawaiian guitar

noun

plural Hawaiian guitars
: a usually electric steel guitar having a long fretted neck and six to eight steel strings that are plucked while being pressed with a movable steel bar for a glissando effect
Since the initial explosion (1915) in popularity of this intensely personal instrument, the Hawaiian guitar has left its mark on many styles of music, including jazz, blues, Western swing and country.Bob Brozman
compare lap steel, pedal steel

Examples of Hawaiian guitar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Hawaiian guitar’s twangy voice spoke of whitecaps rolling across sandy beaches. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2022 Kandle formed and gigged with a Hawaiian guitar sextet, the Kohala Girls. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2022 The concert will feature Bill Walach on mandolin and Hawaiian guitar, with Mark Mercier on keyboard. Hartford Courant, 13 July 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hawaiian guitar was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near Hawaiian guitar

Cite this Entry

“Hawaiian guitar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hawaiian%20guitar. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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