1. A medieval stringed instrument similar to a guitar, with a pear-shaped body and typically four or five pairs of strings.
Usage: archaic; historical

Examples

• The minstrel played a gittern at the medieval feast.
• In the 14th century, the gittern was a popular instrument among traveling musicians.
• The gittern's bright, metallic sound made it ideal for dance music.
• Scholars study surviving gitterens to understand medieval musical practices.
• The gittern eventually evolved into the modern guitar.