chordophone - a stringed instrument of the group including harps, lutes, lyres, and zithersbalalaika - a stringed instrument that has triangular body and three strings harp - a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers lute - chordophone consisting of a plucked instrument having a pear-shaped body, a usually bent neck, and a fretted fingerboard mandolin - a stringed instrument related to the lute, usually played with a plectrum |