dulcimer C2 Topic:Art & Music US /ˈdʌl.sɪ.mɚ/ UK /ˈdʌl.sɪ.mə/ See IPA manual Freq #93988 Meanings 1 noun a stringed instrument with strings stretched over a usually trapezoidal soundboard and struck with small hammers The musician struck the dulcimer with two light wooden hammers. 2 noun a fretted folk instrument whose strings are plucked or strummed, especially the Appalachian dulcimer She played a mountain melody on the dulcimer while the audience sang. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a stringed instrument with... hammered dulcimer 2 noun · a fretted folk instrument... mountain dulcimerAppalachian dulcimer Word family Related forms zitherpsaltery Etymology From Old French doulcemer or doulcemele, probably ultimately from Latin dulce melos, 'sweet song,' in which melos was borrowed from Greek for 'song' or 'melody.' Topics Art & Music External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # dulcimer **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈdʌl.sɪ.mɚ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdʌl.sɪ.mə/ **Frequency rank:** 93988 ## Meanings 1. a stringed instrument with strings stretched over a usually trapezoidal soundboard and struck with small hammers 2. a fretted folk instrument whose strings are plucked or strummed, especially the Appalachian dulcimer ## Examples - The musician struck the dulcimer with two light wooden hammers. - She played a mountain melody on the dulcimer while the audience sang. ## Synonyms - hammered dulcimer - mountain dulcimer ## Related Forms - zither - psaltery ## Etymology From Old French doulcemer or doulcemele, probably ultimately from Latin dulce melos, 'sweet song,' in which melos was borrowed from Greek for 'song' or 'melody.' ## Topics - Art & Music markdown