1. A musical instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding box; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers.
2. Etymology: from Greek kithara, Latin cithara, Old High German zitara, and German Zither.

Quitar is from about 1621, and is ultimately from Greek kithara, and Latin cithara; a stringed musical instrument related to the lyre, perhaps from Persian sihtar, "sitar".

The name, "guitar", reached England several times, including early in the 14th century as giterne, in reference to various stringed, guitar-like, instruments. The modern word is directly from Spanish guittara, which came from Arabic qitar, and from the Greek kithara.