Other forms: bouzoukis; bouzoukia
A bouzouki is a stringed instrument that's similar to a lute or a mandolin. In Greece, the bouzouki has traditionally been used to play folk tunes at parties or gatherings.
It is widely attested that the word comes from the Turkish bozuk, meaning "broken" or "modified." This refers to the way the instrument's Turkish predecessor was tuned, with "breaks" between adjacent strings, which were set at different pitches. The bouzouki has a pear-shaped wooden body and a long neck, and it sounds like a lower-pitched mandolin. Traditionally an instrument that accompanied folk dancing, the bouzouki is now played in all kinds of genres around the world. In Greece, it also remains a symbol of pride and modern identity.