banjo
Americannoun
plural
banjos, banjoesnoun
-
a stringed musical instrument with a long neck (usually fretted) and a circular drumlike body overlaid with parchment, plucked with the fingers or a plectrum
-
slang any banjo-shaped object, esp a frying pan
-
slang a long-handled shovel with a wide blade
-
(modifier) banjo-shaped
a banjo clock
Other Word Forms
- banjoist noun
Etymology
Origin of banjo
First recorded in 1730–40; compare Jamaican English banja, bonjour, bangil, Brazilian Portuguese banza; probably of African origin; compare Kimbundu mbanza a plucked string instrument
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But then we see him at the top of the cliff, strumming the banjo that Maude gave him, choosing to live, although he’d just lost what led him to come to the conclusion.
From Salon
The silence between us is masked by the sound of shrieking children and the banjo music coming from the speaker system.
From Literature
It begins as a duet with Kermit, playing his left-handed banjo, and ends with Miss Piggy, who muscles her way in, anxious for screen time after her Aphrodite number is cut.
From Los Angeles Times
Additional cancellations included banjo player Béla Fleck and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, who announced he no longer intended to host a May 15 gala at the center.
From Los Angeles Times
People play instruments at the Ranch, guitars and banjos, but no one ever dances.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
