mandolin

M3A1N1D2O1L1I1N1
/ˈmændə(ˌ)lɪn/uncommon/ˌmændəˈlɪn/

noun

A stringed instrument of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back.

OriginFrench mandoline ← Italian mandolino ← Late Latin pandura →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounmandolin (plural mandolins)

plural mandolins · alternative mandoline

  1. entertainmentA stringed instrument of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back.
  2. A kitchen tool for julienning vegetables.
verbmandolin (third-person singular simple present mandolins, present participle mandolining, simple past and past participle mandolined)

present singular third person mandolins · participle present mandolining · participle past mandolined · past mandolined · alternative mandoline

  1. To slice using a mandolin; to julienne.

    One Monday night I peeled potatoes over the sink, ready to mandolin them into thin slices and bake on top of a pie I had a recipe for in the newspaper on Saturday.

    2021, Megan Nolan, Acts of Desperation, Random House, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπανδοῦρα (pandoûra)
  2. Late Latinpandura
  3. Italianmandola
  4. Italianmandolino
  5. Frenchmandoline
  6. Englishmandolin

From French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola, a large stringed instrument.

More words from French, Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian мандолина, мандолина
  • мандолина (mandolina)musical instrument
  • мандолина (mandolina)kitchen tool
  • ренде (rende)kitchen tool
Catalan mandolina
  • mandolinamusical instrument
Chinese Mandarin 洋琵琶, 曼陀林
  • 洋琵琶 (yángpípá)musical instrument
  • 曼陀林 (màntuólín)musical instrument
  • 曼多林 (mànduōlín)musical instrument
Czech mandolína
  • mandolínamusical instrument
Esperanto mandolino
  • mandolinomusical instrument
Estonian mandoliin, mandoliin
  • mandoliinmusical instrument
  • mandoliinkitchen tool
Finnish mandoliini, mandoliini
  • mandoliinimusical instrument
  • mandoliinikitchen tool
French mandoline, mandoline
  • mandolinemusical instrument
  • mandolinekitchen tool
German Mandoline, Gemüsehobel
  • Mandolinemusical instrument
  • Gemüsehobelkitchen tool
  • Krauthobelkitchen tool
Greek μαντολίνο
  • μαντολίνο (mantolíno)musical instrument
Hungarian mandolin
  • mandolinmusical instrument
Irish slisneoir
  • slisneoirkitchen tool
Italian mandolino
  • mandolinomusical instrument
Japanese マンドリン
  • マンドリン (mandorin)musical instrument
Korean 만돌린, 채칼
  • 만돌린 (mandollin)musical instrument
  • 채칼 (chaekal)kitchen tool
Polish mandolina
  • mandolinamusical instrument
Portuguese bandolim, mandolina
  • bandolimmusical instrument
  • mandolinakitchen tool
Romanian mandolină
  • mandolinămusical instrument
Russian мандоли́на
  • мандоли́на (mandolína)musical instrument
Spanish mandolina, mandolina
  • mandolinamusical instrument
  • mandolinakitchen tool
Swahili gambusi ndogo
  • gambusi ndogomusical instrument
Swedish mandolin
  • mandolinmusical instrument
Tagalog mandolina
  • mandolinamusical instrument
Thai แมนโดลิน
  • แมนโดลิน (mɛɛn-doo-lin)musical instrument
Turkish mandolin, mandolin
  • mandolinmusical instrument
  • mandolinkitchen tool
Ukrainian мандоліна
  • мандоліна (mandolina)musical instrument
Yiddish מאַנדאָלינע
  • מאַנדאָלינע (mandoline)musical instrument

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with mandolin

inbeenwithinmeninnwinbinskinminbeginpinbentwinsinberlinthinspinhereintinLynnvaccinefinviolindin
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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