shamisen
1
9.9
- noun
- /ʃɑːmɪˈzɛn/
- pluck the shamisen
Examples
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You were just being serenaded by a shamisen, my brother.
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"Do you want to learn to play the fue, taiko, or shamisen?"
Fiction book (2000) -
Already the setting was inspiringly beautiful, with the soft light of the lawn and the slow rhythm of the shamisen music like a heartbeat in the background.
Fiction book (1997) -
I'd spent so many evenings in the okiya, rather than going from party to party like most apprentices, and Auntie often played the shamisen so that I could practice dance.
Fiction book (1997) -
It happened in the okiya during the course of about a minute, not long after lunch one cold day while I knelt on the wooden walkway with my shamisen.
Fiction book (1997) -
During the performance, the musician skillfully played his shamisen, captivating the audience with its unique sound.
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In Japanese folk music, the shamisen is often featured for its distinctive three-string melody.
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She decided to learn the shamisen because she was fascinated by its role in traditional Japanese theater.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A traditional Japanese string instrument with three strings played with a large pick
Surface Forms
Etymology
Shamisen comes from the Chinese instrument sanxian, whose parts san mean 'three' and xian mean 'strings'. When it came to Japan the name changed to shamisen, so it is easy to remember because a shamisen has three strings.