絃

bowstring

string (of shamisen, guitar, violin, etc.)

Esp. 鉉

bail (arched pot handle)

Also written as 梁

diagonal levelling wire across the top of a masu

string instrument; stringed instrument

string (of a shamisen, etc.)

stringed instrument

orchestral music

wind and string instruments; music

music for strings; string music

shamisen; samisen

sanxian (Chinese lute)

the three string instruments used in gagaku (biwa, wagon and sou)

three strings; three-stringed instrument

singing and (string) music

four strings; four-stringed instrument

biwa

Colloquial

qin (7-stringed Chinese zither); guqin; seven-stringed koto

single-stringed Japanese zither

sound of the strings

five strings; five-stringed instrument

catgut

two-stringed koto

five-stringed instrument; pentachord

Rare term

geisha; woman who entertains (e.g. by playing the shamisen) for her living