noun

banjo

BAN-joh

noun

A stringed instrument with a round, drum-like body and a long fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming.

"He picked up the banjo and started playing an old bluegrass tune."

"The banjo is closely associated with American folk and country music."

How to Use Banjo

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA round-bodied, plucked string instrument common in folk, bluegrass, and country music.

Common pairings

play the banjo banjo picking a banjo tune

Word Forms

banjoed past tense, banjos plural, banjoes plural, banjos singular

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Fill the Gap

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He picked up the _____ and started playing an old bluegrass tune.

Etymology

Likely from a West African language, possibly related to Kimbundu mbanza or a similar term, carried into English through African-American speech in the American South.