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Webster 1913 Edition


Gittern

Git′tern

(gĭt′tẽrn)
,
Noun.
[OE.
giterne
, OF.
guiterne
, ultimately from same source as E.
guitar
. See
Guitar
, and cf.
Cittern
.]
An instrument like a guitar.
“Harps, lutes, and giternes.”
Chaucer.

Git′tern

,
Verb.
I.
To play on gittern.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition


Gittern

GIT'TERN

,
Noun.
[L. cithara.] A guitar. [See Guitar.]

GIT'TERN

,
Verb.
I.
To play on a gittern.

Definition 2024


Gittern

Gittern

See also: gittern

German

Noun

Gittern n

  1. dative plural of Gitter

gittern

gittern

See also: Gittern

English

Noun

gittern (plural gitterns)

  1. (music) A small, quill-plucked, gut-strung musical instrument, most commonly with three to four strings in doubles courses; it is a flat-backed predecessor of the guitar, and it originated around the 13th century, coming to Europe via Moorish Spain.

Synonyms

See also

  • Appendix:Glossary of chordophones

Verb

gittern (third-person singular simple present gitterns, present participle gitterning, simple past and past participle gitterned)

  1. To play on the gittern.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

Related terms