koto

noun

ko·to | \ ˈkō-(ˌ)tō

Definition of koto

: a long Japanese zither having 13 strings

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Did You Know?

A Japanese musical instrument, the koto is a long zither with movable bridges and usually 13 strings. It lies on the ground or a low table, and the strings are plucked by picks worn on the fingers of the right hand while the left hand alters the pitch or ornaments the sound of individual strings by pressing or manipulating them. It is played solo, in chamber ensembles, especially with the shakuhachi (a bamboo flute) and the samisen (a three-stringed instrument resembling a banjo), and in gagaku music, the traditional court and religious music of Japan. The koto is Japan's national instrument.

Examples of koto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The closing night presentation of CAAMFest takes place at Herbst Theatre, with storyteller and activist Brenda Wong Aoki delivering a live performance set to music by Emmy Award-winning composer Mark Izu and koto master Shoko Hikage. — G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Live events at Asian American CAAMFest 36," 2 May 2018 In addition, the Taikoza performance includes the sounds of the shakuhachi and another Japanese flute, the fue, as well as the koto, a 13-string instrument. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Taikoza features pounding drums, bamboo flutes, Japanese dancers," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'koto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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koto

Definition of koto

Did You Know?

Examples of koto in a Sentence

First Known Use of koto

History and Etymology for koto

koto

Definition of koto

Did You Know?

Examples of koto in a Sentence

First Known Use of koto

History and Etymology for koto

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