Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

banjo

/ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.27 in modern English

Syllables: ban-jo
IPA: /ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/

14

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A stringed musical instrument (chordophone), usually with a round body, a membrane-like soundboard and a fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.

noun

Any of various similar musical instruments, such as the Tuvan doshpuluur, with a membrane-like soundboard.

noun

An object shaped like a banjo, especially a frying pan or a shovel.

Slang

noun

A cul-de-sac with a round end.

British usage

noun

A miner's round-nosed shovel.

noun

An egg sandwich fried on a flattop and served in a bun like a burger, ellipsis of egg banjo.

noun

The frenulum of the penis.

Slang

verb

To play a banjo.

Example Sentences

"I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee..."
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:banjo."
"They all came back here — we cleared the room and put up tables for the reception — and then we went to another house on the banjo for a "knees-up"."
"Billy Tower lived in the far left house in the banjo that was Dagenham's version of cul de sacs. The trouble was you could be seen from the house and, in the time it took to walk along the Banjo, drugs could be flushed away."
"The banjo format is not an unalloyed success these days: kids playing noisily on the quite narrow common green […]"
"Admitting the assault, the husband said that he had given her a 'banjoing' but that she had asked for it."

Etymology

From the pronunciation of African slaves, of unknown ultimate origin. Possibly a corruption of bandore (from Spanish bandurria), alternatively from a West African language such as Mandinka banjul, or Kimbundu mbanza.

Origin

Source language: Spanish

Word Breakdown

Root: bandurria, banjul, mbanza

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/
British English: /ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

banjos (plural) banjoes (plural) banjos (present, singular) banjoing (participle, present) banjoed (participle, past) banjoed (past)

Derived Forms

banjitar banjoist banjolike banjolin banjouke banjolele dulcijo guitjo

Phrases

banjo bolt banjo catfish banjo clock banjo curette banjo dulcimer banjo enclosure Banjo Eyes banjo-eyes

Questions

How do you pronounce banjo?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/.
What does banjo mean?: A stringed musical instrument (chordophone), usually with a round body, a membrane-like soundboard and a fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.
Where does banjo come from?: It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce banjo

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “banjo”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “banjo”.
Repeat and practice — Say “banjo” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.