koto

K5O1T1O1

noun

A Japanese stringed instrument having numerous strings, usually seven or thirteen, that are stretched over a convex wooden sounding board and are plucked with three plectra, worn on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.

UncommonScrabble 8

Meanings

koto1

nounkoto (plural kotos)

plural kotos

  1. entertainmentA Japanese stringed instrument having numerous strings, usually seven or thirteen, that are stretched over a convex wooden sounding board and are plucked with three plectra, worn on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.

    Seated on the soft carpet with their drinks, they listened to a recording of koto, Japanese thirteen-string harp.

    1962, Philip K. Dick, “The Man in the High Castle”, in Four Novels of the 1960s, Library of America, published 2007, page 94

Koto2

proper noun

alternative Kōtō · alternative Koto City

  1. A special ward in Tokyo prefecture, Japan.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Japanese箏
  2. Englishkoto

From Japanese 箏 (koto).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese 江東 /江东
  • 江東 /江东 (Jiāngdōng)Translations
Chinese Cantonese 日本箏 /日本筝
  • 日本箏 /日本筝 (jat⁶ bun² zang¹)a Japanese stringed instrument
Chinese Mandarin 日本箏 /日本筝
  • 日本箏 /日本筝 (rìběnzhēng)a Japanese stringed instrument
Esperanto kotoo
  • kotooa Japanese stringed instrument
Finnish koto
  • kotoa Japanese stringed instrument
French koto
  • kotoa Japanese stringed instrument
German Koto
  • Kotoa Japanese stringed instrument
Japanese 箏, 江東
  • 箏 (koto)a Japanese stringed instrument
  • 江東 (Kōtō)Translations
Korean 고토
  • 고토 (goto)a Japanese stringed instrument
Polish Kōtō
  • KōtōTranslations
Portuguese coto, koto
  • cotoa Japanese stringed instrument
  • kotoa Japanese stringed instrument
Russian ко́то
  • ко́то (kóto)a Japanese stringed instrument
Vietnamese koto, cô tô
  • kotoa Japanese stringed instrument
  • cô tôa Japanese stringed instrument

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

koto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koto

MLA

“koto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koto. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “koto,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/koto.

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