cithern

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Word: Cithern

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A cithern is a musical instrument from the 16th century that looks similar to a guitar. It has a pear-shaped body (soundbox) and is played by plucking wire strings.

Usage Instructions:

• The word "cithern" is used to refer to a specific type of stringed instrument, so it is usually mentioned in contexts related to music, history, or instruments.
• You can use "cithern" when talking about historical music or when discussing different types of string instruments.

Example Sentence:

• "In the 16th century, many musicians played the cithern at gatherings and celebrations."

Advanced Usage:

• In more advanced discussions, you might compare the cithern to other string instruments, like the lute or violin, to highlight differences in design, sound, and historical use.

Word Variants:

• There are no direct variants of the word "cithern," but you might encounter it in plural form as "citherns" when referring to more than one of these instruments.

Different Meaning:

• The term "cithern" primarily refers to the historical musical instrument. It does not have other meanings in contemporary English.

Synonyms:

• While there are no exact synonyms, you could refer to related instruments such as "lute" or "guitar" when discussing stringed instruments in general.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that include "cithern." However, you might hear phrases related to music, such as "strumming a cithern" or "playing the cithern," which refer to the action of playing the instrument.

Conclusion:

The cithern is an interesting part of musical history.

Academic

Noun

1. a 16th century musical instrument resembling a guitar with a pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings

Synonyms

• cittern
• cither
• citole
• gittern