Definition

Noun: A musical instrument consisting of a flat, shallow soundbox over which numerous strings are stretched. The instrument is placed on a surface or held in the lap, and the strings are plucked with a plectrum and the fingers to produce sound.

Examples

• The musician played a beautiful folk melody on the zithern.
• In the museum, we saw an antique zithern from Central Europe.
• The gentle sound of the zithern filled the quiet room.

Advanced Usage

• The term zithern is a less common variant of the word zither. It is often used interchangeably, though "zither" is the more standard and widely recognized term in modern English.

Variants and Related Words

• Zither (n): The standard and more common term for the same instrument.
• Chord zither (n): A type of zither designed to play chords easily, often with a fretboard or button system.
• Plucked string instrument (n): The general category of instruments, including the harp, guitar, and zithern, whose sound is produced by plucking strings.

Synonyms

• Zither: The primary synonym.
• Cittern (n): A historical, related string instrument, typically with a pear-shaped body and wire strings.
• Psaltery (n): An ancient and medieval instrument, a precursor to the zither family, with strings stretched over a soundboard.

Related Idioms or Phrases

• None directly associated with "zithern": As a specific instrument name, it does not commonly feature in English idioms. Idioms more frequently use general terms like "play second fiddle" or "harp on."

Noun

1. a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers