Illustration of mandolin
- mandolin 1
mandolin
noun
man·do·lin
ˌman-də-ˈlin 
ˈman-də-lən
variants
or less commonly mandoline
ˌman-də-ˈlēn
ˈman-də-lən
1
: a musical instrument of the lute family that has a usually pear-shaped body and fretted neck and four to six pairs of strings
2
usually mandoline
[French, from Italian mandolino mandolin]
: a kitchen utensil with a blade for slicing and shredding
Examples of mandolin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Using a mandolin, thinly slice onion into rings about 1/16-inch thick.
—
Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Still, Bale has a couple of nice moments as Mandras, a Greek fisherman who loses his fiancée (Penelope Cruz) to a mandolin-playing pacifist (Cage, of course) but, all told, is pretty reasonable about it.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Women join in on guitar, mandolin, and accordion.
—Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
Since then, he's picked up skills on the guitar, mandolin and piano — and has also learned to record his own music.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mandolin
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Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Still, Bale has a couple of nice moments as Mandras, a Greek fisherman who loses his fiancée (Penelope Cruz) to a mandolin-playing pacifist (Cage, of course) but, all told, is pretty reasonable about it.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Women join in on guitar, mandolin, and accordion.
—Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
Since then, he's picked up skills on the guitar, mandolin and piano — and has also learned to record his own music.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mandolin
Cite this Entry
“Mandolin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandolin. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mandolin
noun
man·do·lin
ˌman-də-ˈlin
ˈman-dᵊl-ən
variants
also mandoline
ˌman-də-ˈlēn
ˈman-dᵊl-ən
: a stringed instrument with a pear-shaped body and four to six pairs of strings played by plucking
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