biwa

B3I1W4A1

noun

A plucked lute, originating in the classical and traditional music of Japan, characterized by a pear-shaped body and four or five high frets, giving the instrument a distinctively twangy tone.

Similar
Lake Biwa
OriginJapanese 琵琶 →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

biwa1

nounbiwa (plural biwas or biwa)

plural biwas

  1. A plucked lute, originating in the classical and traditional music of Japan, characterized by a pear-shaped body and four or five high frets, giving the instrument a distinctively twangy tone.

Biwa2

proper noun
  1. A town in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
  2. A lake in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

    Synonyms: Lake Biwa

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA lake in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Similar
Lake Biwa

Origin

  1. Japanese琵琶
  2. Englishbiwa

Borrowing from Japanese 琵琶 (biwa). Doublet of bipa and pipa.

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan biwa
  • biwalute
Chinese Mandarin 日本琵琶
  • 日本琵琶 (Rìběn pípa)lute
Finnish biwa
  • biwalute
Japanese 琵琶
  • 琵琶 (biwa)lute
Korean 비와
  • 비와 (biwa)lute
Malay biwa
  • biwalute
Polish biwa
  • biwalute
Russian би́ва
  • би́ва (bíva)lute

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

wabiBawi
Cite this entry
APA

biwa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biwa

MLA

“biwa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biwa. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biwa,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biwa.

Source: biwa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.