zither
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zither
- /ˈzɪ.ðə/ UK
- /ˈzɪ.ðɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ɪðə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Borrowed from German Zither, from Old High German zithara, from Latin cithara, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα (kithára, “a kind of harp”). Doublet of cithara, cither, and guitar.
noun zithers
- A musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings placed on a horizontal surface, played with a plectrum or fingertips. “And where you ever got the idea that you'd hit it off with a vampire is beyond me.” “And for your information, she's not a vampire. She just likes to dress that way.” “Oh, I'm sorry. All palid pouty people look alike to me.” “Plus, she's a very talented zither player.” “Which you know all about and
- Related or similar instruments in other cultures, such as the Chinese guqin or Norwegian harpeleik; especially any chordophone without a neck, and with strings that pass over the body.
verb zithers · zithering · zithered
- To play a zither. […] the fluting began again. Not alone this time, but, to Rosalie’s infinite surprise, accompanied on a zither. […] At this moment the fluting and zithering began again.
- To make a sound similar to that made by a zither; to move while making such a sound. c. 1890, May Ostlere, Dead! London: Trischler, Chapter 3, p. 76, Now [the wind] swithered through the badly-fixed windows, making zithering sounds as of an army of cold and frozen-out mosquitoes […]
Translations
Talk about this word "zither." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/zither. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. zither. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/zither "zither." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/zither.Cite this
@misc{zither_2026,
title = {zither},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/zither},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
