Meanings
kora1
plural koras
- entertainmentA type of harp or lute played in West Africa.
He is performing here with his Symmetric Orchestra, an ensemble of West African musicians who play both traditional instruments (kora, balafon, bolombatto, djembe) and slightly more contemporary ones (guitars, keyboards).
2009 April 17, The New York Times, “Pop Listings”, in New York Times1 more example
Since its invention, probably in sixteenth-century Senegal, the kora' has been used by professional bards called jalis, or griots. The plucked instrument's harplike sound accompanies the jalis song—praise for patrons, histories and genealogies, satire, political commentary, and poetic recitation.
2015, J. Kenneth Moore, Jayson Kerr Dobney, E Bradley Strachen-Scherer, Musical Instruments: Highlights of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, →ISBN, page 172
Kora2
- A female given name, modern or (rare) German variant of Cora.
Origin
- Bambarakɔ́ra
- Bambarakɔ́ra
- Englishkora
Borrowed from Bambara kɔ́ra.
More words from Bambara
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan kora
- koraTranslations
Dutch kora
- koraTranslations
French kora
- koraTranslations
German Kora
- KoraTranslations
Italian kora
- koraTranslations
Spanish kora
- koraTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with kora
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
kora. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kora
“kora.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kora. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kora,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kora.
Source: kora on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.