zither

2 definitions found

zither - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Zither \Zith"er\, n. [G. zither. See Cittern.] (Mus.)
     An instrument of music used in Austria and Germany. It has
     from thirty to forty wires strung across a shallow
     sounding-board, which lies horizontally on a table before the
     performer, who uses both hands in playing on it.
  
     Note: [Not to be confounded with the old lute-shaped
           cittern, or cithern.]
           [1913 Webster]

zither - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  zither
      n 1: a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a
           flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a
           plectrum and with fingers [syn: zither, cither,
           zithern]