samisen

1 9.9

A traditional Japanese string instrument with three strings played with a large pick

noun
/ˈsæmɪsɛn/

: samisen

On Lake Bai in the evening, the tinkle of samisen music mixed with the thrumming of a Spanish guitar, the notes falling like lemon and oleander flowers into the dark, cold water.

Examples

The musician skillfully played the samisen during the traditional festival in Kyoto.
As the samisen echoed through the hall, the audience became captivated by its haunting melody.
She learned to play the samisen from her grandfather, who taught her the art of traditional Japanese music.

Synonyms

shamisen

vssamisen

1 9.9

A Japanese string instrument with three strings and a long neck played with a pick

is the same instrument but uses the alternate spelling starting with a different consonant

Surface Forms

samisen singular

samisens plural

Etymology

Samisen comes from Japanese parts san 'three' and sen 'string', so it literally means a 'three-string' instrument and that helps explain why a samisen has three strings and a long neck.