plec·trum (pl
k
tr
m)
n. pl. plec·trums or plec·tra (-tr)
A small thin piece of metal, plastic, bone, or similar material, used to pluck the strings of certain instruments, such as the guitar or lute.
[Latin pl
ctrum, from Greek plktron, from plssein, plg-, to strike; see pl
k-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.