1. a small stringed musical instrument with a rounded back and four pairs of strings, played with a plectrum

Examples

• She learned to play the mandolin at summer camp.
• The folk band featured a mandolin alongside guitars and fiddles.
• His grandfather’s antique mandolin hung on the wall.
• The mandolin’s bright, crisp sound complemented the acoustic guitar.
• She practiced mandolin scales for an hour each day.
• The bluegrass musician picked intricate melodies on his mandolin.