Plectrums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An object used to pluck or strum the strings of musical instruments such as guitars or lutes
2. a tool designed to create sound by striking strings
3. an often small, flat item that assists musicians in producing notes with stringed instruments

Etymology: The Greek word "plēktron" was a tool for striking, and the instrument it named was the lyre. Ancient players used a small striking implement, and the Greek word ultimately comes from "plēssein", "to strike, to smite." So the modern guitar pick has a Greek ancestor that was defined by violence, not music. Latin borrowed the term as "plēctrum," and English took it directly from Latin, a loan that displaced the native Old English word "sleġel" for the same object. The plural "plectrums" is the ordinary English form, alongside the older, more classical "plectra," which keeps the Latin plural ending. Both forms refer to the same small object held between the fingers to strike or pluck strings.

Synonyms: picks, plectra, strummers, strum tools, fingers