Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A stringed instrument of India made of seasoned gourds and teak and having a track of 20 movable frets with 6 or 7 metal playing strings above and usually 13 sympathetic resonating strings below.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A Hindu guitar with a pear-shaped body, a long neck, and three or more strings. It is sometimes played with a bow, like a viol.
Wiktionary
- n. music A Hindustani/Indian classical stringed instrument, typically having a gourd as its resonating chamber.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a stringed instrument of India; has a long neck and movable frets; has 6 or 7 metal strings for playing and usually 13 resonating strings
Etymologies
- From Persian سهتار (se-târ), meaning “three strings”. (Wiktionary)
- Hindi sitār, from Persian : si, three; + tār, string. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“In the face of numerous instruments, the sitar is the most popular in Chitral, northern Pakistan, the invention of which is attributed to Amir Khisro, a 14th century mystic poet, scholar and sage.”
“The sitar is a very intimidating instrument to learn, at any age.”
“That Paula Abdul, part-Syrian by descent, couldn't come up with the name of an Arab stringed instrument and instead said 'sitar' is a comment on Paula Abdul, not the arrangement.”
“It’s criticized for being a superficial dip into things they don’t understand, stealing a bit of sitar, which is an extremely complex instrument, and using it in a completely superficial way, but I think there’s an argument as strong as that the other way: saying that it doesn’t make it without substance just because it’s your interpretation of something.”
“Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 22: More than a thousand 'sitar' maestros from different parts of the country and also from abroad came under one roof to perform a grand symphony here last evening.”
“Other groups, including the Rolling Stones began incorporating the sitar into some of their work.”
“The throbbing base line in the music, the sitar, and borrowed lyrics from James Joyce (I turn my head until my darkness goes – Ulysses) make this song the top of the list.”
“He soon cultivated a close relationship with renowned sitar player, Ravi Shankar.”
“Shankar, 29 (half-sister of Grammy winner Norah Jones, and daughter of sitar superstar Ravi Shankar) is reportedly pregnant, and due in the spring.”
The Huffington Post: Rosamund Pike 'Devastated' By Ex Joe Wright's Marriage To Anoushka Shankar
“The U. K.'s Daily Mail claims that Pike ( 'Die Another Day,' 'An Education') -- whose wedding to director Joe Wright was abruptly called off in 2008 -- was completely taken by surprise when she learned recently that Wright and acclaimed sitar musician Anoushka Shankar quietly married last month.”
The Huffington Post: Rosamund Pike 'Devastated' By Ex Joe Wright's Marriage To Anoushka Shankar
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sitar’.
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Tar
I'll accept any words or phrases with "tar" in them, but I'm especially interested in words that could lead to a joke based on the different meanings of tar and pitch.
tar, guitar, sitar, dutar, dotara, tar and feather, coal tar, tarred with the s..., wood-tar, jacktar, La Brea Tar Pits, Carpinteria Tar Pits and 26 more...
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harmony of the spheres
tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, subtonic, leading tone, progression, sonata, concerto, allegro and 247 more...
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Zing Went the Strings
lute, guitar, mandolin, violin, banjo, balalaika, sitar, pipa, autoharp, zither, kantele, guqin and 329 more...
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hedges's Words
wii, crepuscule, adumbrate, concatenation, sufi, qawwali, furry, riot, mellifluous, conspiracy, etymology, tea cozy and 369 more...
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kant's Words
mandrágora, doppelganger, sinestesia, baladí, adriático, chanson, correveidile, angster, dèja vu, otredad, grasshopper, republic and 1074 more...
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trinity words
triumvir, tierce, sesterce, trinity, trammel, trephine, tercel, tercet, tertian, tricrotic, tritone, triad and 58 more...
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music
octave, lyric, opera, flute, maracas, gong, tambourine, bass, trumpet, balalaika, lyre, bongos and 36 more...
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string alongs (and shorts too)
string instruments and instrumentation
zither, guitar, bouzouki, rebec, violin, cithara, fiddle, fidicinal, twang, fret, gadulka, maqui and 54 more...
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Musical Instruments
Collect them all!
dulcimer, french horn, didgeridoo, zither, tympani, djembe, xylophone, vibraphone, singing bowl, bagpipes, banjo, guitar and 66 more...
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foreign
yuki, sakura, nemui, aisoku, ai, je t'adore, sora, aozora, ao, suki, kawaii, airashii and 30 more...
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My Favorite Instruments
I love their sounds as well as their names!
guitar, piano, harpsichord, grand harp, lute, hammered dulcimer, flute, violin, oboe, clarinet, cittern, dobro and 33 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for sitar.
jennarenn Christian: India! India! It's set in India! And there's a courtesan, the most beautiful courtesan in all the world. But her kingdom's invaded by an evil Maharaja! Now, in order to save her kingdom, she has to seduce the evil Maharaja. But on the night of the seduction, she mistakes a penniless po- a penniless- a penniless sitar player for the evil Maharaja and she falls in love with him! He wasn't trying to trick her or anything, but he was dressed as a Maharaja because... he's appearing in a play!
--Moulin Rouge
Jul 5, 2007
fbharjo three stringed Jul 5, 2007