noun
ruan
noun
1
A traditional Chinese stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and a round body, played by plucking.
"The ensemble featured a ruan alongside the pipa and erhu."
How to Use Ruan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA round-bodied Chinese lute, similar in family to the pipa, that comes in several sizes from bass to soprano.
Word Forms
ruans plural
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The ensemble featured a _____ alongside the pipa and erhu.
Etymology
Borrowed from Mandarin 阮 (ruǎn), itself short for 阮咸 (ruǎnxián), named after a musician associated with the instrument.