twelve-string guitar

American

[twelv-string] / ˈtwɛlvˌstrɪŋ /

noun

an acoustic guitar having twelve strings instead of six, with each pair tuned an octave apart, and more difficult to play than the standard guitar.

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.

At one point, Crosby aimed his twelve-string guitar over the stage’s edge and, belting out the powerful lyrics he had written, nearly fell off.

From Los Angeles Times

The Pope's feeling for the less fortunate also showed at a Los Angeles rally where John Paul was moved by Tony Melendez, a 25-year-old musician born without arms who played a twelve-string guitar with his toes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Periodically a short man in rumpled suit and bow tie moves into the prison toolroom, lugging a tape recorder, a six-string guitar, a twelve-string guitar and a fiddle.

From Time Magazine Archive

The most unique performance came when he laid down his twelve-string guitar and did what he called "hollers," primitive, soul-searching melancholy songs.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023