ukulele

noun

uku·​le·​le ˌyü-kə-ˈlā-lē 

ˌü-

variants or less commonly ukelele

: a small guitar of Portuguese origin popularized in Hawaii in the 1880s and strung typically with four strings

Illustration of ukulele

Examples of ukulele in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meetups consist of playing popular songs together and sharing ukulele playing tips. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025

Learn Hawaiian phrases and to dance hula, strum the ukulele or make a fresh flower lei. —Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

Until the fires, Moshfegh loved living in Altadena with her husband (a guitarist), their two young sons, and an eclectic assortment of instruments: guitars, ukuleles, Chinese flutes, a djembe, some Orba sound machines. —Zach Schonfeld, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025

Join other ukulele enthusiasts and jam out from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road. —Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Hawaiian ʽukulele, from ʽuku flea + lele jumping

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ukulele

• israeli
• bailee
• bailie
• baily
• daily
• gaily
• gayly
• scaly

Kids Definition

ukulele

noun

uku·​le·​le

ˌyü-kə-ˈlā-lē,

ˌü-

: a usually four-stringed small guitar popularized in Hawaii

Etymology

from Hawaiian ʽukulele "ukulele," literally, "jumping flea," from ʽuku "flea" + lele "jumping"

Word Origin

In the 19th century, a former British army officer named Edward Purvis lived in Hawaii as an official at the royal court. Purvis is said to have been given the Hawaiian nickname of ʽukulele, which means "jumping flea," because he was small and lively. In 1879 Portuguese immigrants arrived in the Hawaiian Islands. They brought several of their native instruments, among them a small four-stringed guitar. Purvis liked this new instrument. He quickly learned to play it. In time the small guitar became a favorite, and it took the nickname of the man who had made it popular.