Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small lutelike instrument with a typically pear-shaped body and a straight fretted neck, having usually four sets of paired strings tuned in unison or octaves.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A musical instrument of the lute class, having from four to six single or double metallic strings, which are stretched over an almond-shaped body, and a neck with numerous frets. It is played with a plectrum of tortoise-shell held in the right hand. The tuning of the strings varies somewhat, but the compass is usually about three octaves upward from the G next below middle C. The tone is tinkling, but penetrating and agreeable.
Wiktionary
- n. A stringed instrument and a member of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin. They have either a bowl back or a flat back.
- n. A kitchen tool used for slicing vegetables (usually spelled mandoline).
- n. An RAF World War II code name for patrols to attack enemy railway transport.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A small and beautifully shaped instrument resembling the lute.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a stringed instrument related to the lute, usually played with a plectrum
Etymologies
- French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola, lute, from French mandore, from Late Latin pandūra, three-string lute, from Greek pandoura.
Examples
“The note duration on mandolin is short, the fiddle notes are longer sustain, and we're all playing exactly the same notes.”
“waaah waaah somebody call mandolin a waaaaahmbulance. what a repuke wussy.”
“The mandolin was his first instrument, which he quickly traded in for the trombone.”
Phil Ramone and Danielle Evin: Dog Ears Music: Volume Thirty-Two
“Everybody knows that the mandolin is the "bad boy" of the lute family, and since Letle Viride is, in turn, the "bad boy" of mandolin players, this makes him exponentially bad.”
“In fact the mandolin is the instrument of my heart. ”
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
“Very Italian, too, is the "Serenade" with accompaniment à la mandolin, which is the most fetching number in the suite "Captive Memories," published in 1899.”
“Rösle also make a non-flimsy V grater for slicing potatoes for dauphinois - a tool my mother always called a mandolin.”
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph
“Learning to pick out tunes on the mandolin is the easy part ... the difficulty comes from leaning proper techniques, timing, taste, and TONE.”
“Anyway i have taken my decision, since play the mandolin should be a pleasure, i don't think i should stress so much finding instruments, and trying to find as much money as i can to buy a middle / high level instruments.”
“Yes the mandolin is a great place to start your musical avocation.”
Lists
‘mandolin’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.