Dictionary

zither en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈzɪ.ðə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈzɪ.ðɚ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. 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 love so much. [chuckles] You realize you're really gonna humiliate yourself.” “Hey thanks, man. I really needed that positive reinforcement.” “No problem. Glad to be of service. Stop by any time! Good luck on your date!” 1999 August 24, Japhet Asher and Peter Gaffney, “Insomnia” (5:30 from the start), in Downtown, season 1, episode 4, spoken by Alex Henson (Gregory Gilmore), archived from the original on 20 Mar 2021:
2. (qualifier:translations) 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.

Forms

Deriveds

zitherist · box zither · moon zither

Relateds

autoharp (similar instruments) · dulcimer · harpeleik

Translations (54)

hi सितार (musical instrument) · cmn 琴 (musical instrument) · nn harpeleik (musical instrument) · el τσίτερ (musical instrument) · tl sitara (musical instrument) · fi sitra (musical instrument) · xal ятһа (musical instrument) · sv cittra (musical instrument) · nn siter (musical instrument) · th ซิทเธอร์ (musical instrument) · hy ցիտրա (musical instrument) · io citaro (musical instrument) · et tsitter (musical instrument) · sk citra (musical instrument) · fr cithare (musical instrument) · pt cítara (musical instrument) · ro țiteră (musical instrument) · de Zither (musical instrument) · he צִיתָר (musical instrument) · hi संतूर (musical instrument) · es cítara (musical instrument) · nb harpeleik (musical instrument) · ko 치터 (musical instrument) · vi đàn tranh (musical instrument) · cmn 古琴 (musical instrument) · ka ციტრა (musical instrument) · la cithara (musical instrument) · uz sitra (musical instrument) · sl cítre (musical instrument) · mk цитра (musical instrument) · sh cȉtra (musical instrument) · pl cytra (musical instrument) · gl cítara (musical instrument) · th จะเข้ (musical instrument) · ms ziter (musical instrument) · uk цитра (musical instrument) · sh ци̏тра (musical instrument) · fa سنتور (musical instrument) · ru ци́тра (musical instrument) · ga siotár (musical instrument) · is sítar (musical instrument) · mn ятга (musical instrument) · da citer (musical instrument) · hu citera (musical instrument) · nl citer (musical instrument) · nb siter (musical instrument) · it cetra (musical instrument) · ga siotar (musical instrument) · ja ツィター (musical instrument) · cs citera (musical instrument) · mnc ᡶᡳᡨᡠᡥᠠᠨ (musical instrument) · ca cítara (musical instrument) · bg цитра (musical instrument) · hy կիթառ (musical instrument)

wikidata: Q76239

zither en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈzɪ.ðə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈzɪ.ðɚ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. 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. 1892, Edmund Gosse, chapter 3, in The Secret of Narcisse, New York: United States Book Company, page 100,102:
   • We wandered and fiddled and zithered and tambourined through France till the chills and rains of autumn rendered our vagabondage less merry. 1906, William John Locke, chapter 9, in The Belovéd Vagabond, New York: John Lane, published 1911, pages 120–121:
   • 1999, Richard Hacken (translator), “Mary in Misery” by Peter Rosegger in Into the Sunset: Anthology of Nineteenth-Century Austrian Prose, Riverside, CA: Ariadne Press, pp. 413-414, We traveled far and wide: he played the zither while I sang an accompaniment. […] He keeps zithering, and I sing like before, and before long we’ve put together a pretty good pile of money . . .
2. 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 […]
   • The olives seemed weighed down under the weight of their fruit, smooth drops of green jade among which the choirs of cicadas zithered. 1956, Gerald Durrell, My Family and Other Animals, Penguin, published 2000, Part Two, Chapter 10, p. 123:
   • ‘Look at that!’ she shouted, already backing up the Jeep, its tyres zithering on the crusty surface. 1996, Carl Huberman, chapter 38, in Eminent Domain, London: Macmillan, page 328:
   • The other men opened fire with pistols, slugs zithering past him with a dull whine. 2004, Matt Braun, chapter 15, in Black Gold, New York: St Martin’s Paperbacks, page 158:
   • Once I owned a bike […] It had no fenders and one gear only, and on the forks, both fore and aft, I clipped some plastic playing cards to zither loudly through the spokes. 1985, Kim Chapin, chapter 19, in Dogwood Afternoons, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, page 178:

Forms