CultureAugust 26, 2026

plectrum

PLEK-trum

Definition

A small, thin piece of plastic, metal, or other material held by the fingers or worn on the thumb to pluck or strum the strings of a musical instrument.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'plectrum', which comes from the Greek 'plektron' meaning 'instrument for striking the strings,' ultimately from the verb 'plessein' meaning 'to strike.'

In the news

The article lists the plectrum banjo as one of the instruments Jared Engel carries, identifying it as part of his multi-instrumentalist toolkit.

Rochester native brings one-of-a-kind baseball, film, and live music program to Eastman Museum

Read the full article ↗

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