°(musici) A stringed
instrument, with strings stretched across a
sounding board, usually
trapezoidal. It's played on the
lap or horizontally on a table. Some have their own legs. These musical instruments are played by
plucking on the strings (traditionally with a quill) or by
tapping on them (in the case of the hammer dulcimers).
"The two classes of dulcimer are the "Mountain" or "Appalacian" dulcimer (plucked and played with a quill, usually a goose quill) and the hammer dulcimer (played by tapping on the strings with small "hammers"). See also:
zither"