banjo

noun

ban·​jo ˈban-(ˌ)jō How to pronounce banjo (audio)
plural banjos also banjoes
: a musical instrument with a drumlike body, a fretted neck, and usually four or five strings which may be plucked or strummed
banjoist noun

Illustration of banjo

Illustration of banjo

Examples of banjo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When Roni was about 9 years old, her father built her her first banjo, an instrument about as large as a banjo ukulele, about half the size of a traditional one. Bill Friskics-Warren, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Prominent country instruments, such as the fiddle and the banjo, were played mostly by enslaved African people and eventually incorporated into music driven by white Southern artists, according to Martinez, who has written extensively on country and race. Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 In an earlier scene, Cox performs a call-and-response banjo duet with a young native (Billy Redden) in an iconic musical sequence. Rhett Bartlett, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024 The banjo, a country music staple, was created by enslaved Africans. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Their sound is identified by mandolin which both Hilts and guitarist/vocalist Scott Pringle play, and banjo, which is handled by Colton Crawford. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 9 Feb. 2024 Mumford & Sons Monday, April 18, at Sprint Center Not many rock bands feature a banjo and an upright bass, but not many rock bands sound like Mumford & Sons. Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 But Black artists have long influenced the genre — starting with the banjo. Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Rhiannon Giddens is also featured as the core banjo and viola player. Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'banjo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably of African origin; akin to Kimbundu mbanza, a similar instrument

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of banjo was in 1739

Dictionary Entries Near banjo

Cite this Entry

“Banjo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banjo. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

banjo

noun
ban·​jo ˈban-jō How to pronounce banjo (audio)
plural banjos also banjoes
: a musical instrument with a round body like a drum, a long fretted neck, and four or five strings
banjoist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on banjo

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