plectrum
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plectrum
- /ˈplɛk.tɹəm/
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin plēctrum, from Ancient Greek πλῆκτρον (plêktron, “anything to strike with, an instrument for striking the lyre, a spear point”), from πλήσσειν (plḗssein, “to strike, to smite, to sting”). Displaced native Old English sleġel.
noun plectrums · plectra · plectron
-
A small piece of plastic, metal, ivory, etc., for plucking the strings of a guitar, lyre, mandolin, etc.
For sounds in winter nights, and often in winter days, I heard the forlorn but melodious note of a hooting owl indefinitely far; such a sound as the frozen earth would yield if struck with a suitable plectrum, the very lingua vernacula of Walden Wood, and quite familiar to me at last, though I never
Similar: guitar pick, pick, plectre
- A projection of bone or other stiff tissue, such as the ridges in some insects' stridulatory organs.
Translations
Every language
noun anatomical part
| Ελληνικά | πλήκτρο plíktro |
|---|
noun music: small piece for plucking strings
| Español | plectro, púa, vitela |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 피크 pikeu |
| 日本語 | ピック pikku |
| 中文 | 撥子 /拨子 bōzǐ |
| Português | plectro, palheta |
| Français | plectre, médiator, pick, onglet |
| Deutsch | Plektron, Plektrum |
| Italiano | plettro |
| Ελληνικά | πέννα pénna, πλήκτρο plíktro |
| Русский | плектр plektr, медиа́тор mediátor |
| العربية | ريشة |
| עברית | מפרט |
Talk about this word "plectrum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plectrum. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plectrum. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plectrum "plectrum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plectrum.Cite this
@misc{plectrum_2026,
title = {plectrum},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plectrum},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
