Standard Lemma guide

konghou

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ko͝ong′hō′

1

noun

Meaning 1

A plucked stringed instrument (chordophone) with a harp-like construction, originating in ancient Chinese music as a horizontal instrument but now made to be played vertically, and with strings that are double to allow for techniques like vibrato.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Mandarin 箜篌 (kōnghóu), from the name of this instrument in the local language of the region of Central Asia whence it came to China; the Sogdian name for the angular harp was [script needed] (cngryʾ /⁠čangaryā⁠/), [script needed] (cyngryʾ /⁠čingaryā⁠/), which derives perhaps from Turkic čingar.