Definition

1. Noun:
   • A traditional Japanese musical instrument with three strings, a long neck, a rectangular body, and a fretted fingerboard. It is played by plucking the strings with a large plectrum called a bachi.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The geisha skillfully played the samisen during the tea ceremony.
  • The melancholic sound of the samisen is characteristic of many Japanese folk songs.

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Context: The samisen is central to various Japanese performing arts, including theater, (puppet theater), and traditional folk music (). Its sound can range from percussive and rhythmic to lyrical and expressive.

Variants and Related Words

• Shamisen: An alternative romanization of the same word, also commonly used in English.
• Bachi: The large, spatula-shaped plectrum used to strike the strings of a samisen.

Synonyms

• Japanese lute: A descriptive synonym highlighting its stringed, fretted nature.
• Three-stringed lute: A technical description of the instrument.

Related Phrases

• "To play the samisen": The standard phrase for performing on this instrument.
  • She learned to play the samisen from a master musician.

Noun

1. a Japanese stringed instrument resembling a banjo with a long neck and three strings and a fretted fingerboard and a rectangular soundbox; played with a plectrum