Illustration of sitar
sitar
noun
si·tar si-ˈtär 
ˈsi-ˌtär
: an Indian lute with a long neck and a varying number of strings
sitarist
si-ˈtär-ist
noun ˈsi-ˌtär-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The strumming of a sitar, the pounding of tablas, the plucking of a violin — these were coming from the hospital, now the makeshift home of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. 
New York Times, 13 July 2022 Hence electric sitar turning up on seven of the album's 14 tracks and one song drifting into Pink Floyd's corner of the galaxy. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Sep. 2022 Singer and pianist Norah Jones is the daughter of Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, though Jones had little contact with her renowned father while growing up. Bryan Nichols, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 Some students, including Mohammad Sorosh Reka, 16, a sitar player, made the 5,000-mile journey to Portugal alone. New York Times, 13 July 2022 Based on a novel by writer V.S. Naipaul, the story was set among the East Indian community in Trinidad and featured the sitar, a string instrument similar to a guitar. Ginger Adams Otis, WSJ, 11 July 2022 Musicians onstage included Atlanta Rhythm Section/Brother Cane guitar slinger Dave Anderson, who played chunky rhythms and even busted out an electric sitar for one song. Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 16 May 2022 Their gigs feature smooth chemistry and elaborate jams on guitar and a sitar wielded by Kurosawa’s brother, Ryu. Hunter Walker, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2022 The track features sitar accompaniment by Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar. Kat Bouza, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2022 See More
New York Times, 13 July 2022 Hence electric sitar turning up on seven of the album's 14 tracks and one song drifting into Pink Floyd's corner of the galaxy. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Sep. 2022 Singer and pianist Norah Jones is the daughter of Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, though Jones had little contact with her renowned father while growing up. Bryan Nichols, The Conversation, 16 Aug. 2022 Some students, including Mohammad Sorosh Reka, 16, a sitar player, made the 5,000-mile journey to Portugal alone. New York Times, 13 July 2022 Based on a novel by writer V.S. Naipaul, the story was set among the East Indian community in Trinidad and featured the sitar, a string instrument similar to a guitar. Ginger Adams Otis, WSJ, 11 July 2022 Musicians onstage included Atlanta Rhythm Section/Brother Cane guitar slinger Dave Anderson, who played chunky rhythms and even busted out an electric sitar for one song. Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 16 May 2022 Their gigs feature smooth chemistry and elaborate jams on guitar and a sitar wielded by Kurosawa’s brother, Ryu. Hunter Walker, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2022 The track features sitar accompaniment by Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar. Kat Bouza, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Hindi & Urdu sitār, from Persian, a three-stringed lute, from sih three + tār string, thread
First Known Use
1828, in the meaning defined above