mbira

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əmˈbiːrə/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(əm bēr′ə)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
mbi•ra  (əm bēr′ə),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Music, Music and Dancea musical instrument of Africa usually made out of a gourd that serves as a resonating box, to which vibrating metal or wooden strips are attached for plucking.
  • Shona
  • 1905–10

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mbira / əmˈbiːrə/
  1. an African musical instrument consisting of tuned metal strips attached to a resonating box, which are plucked with the thumbs
    Also called: thumb piano
Etymology: Shona
'mbira' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
kalimba - thumb piano

Forum discussions with the word(s) "mbira" in the title:


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