geisha; female entertainer (shamisen player)
Rare historical term for a woman who earns her living by entertaining, especially by playing the shamisen. Compare with 歌妓 (female singer).
See also: 歌妓
The word 弦妓 occasionally appears in Edo-period documents.
Rare kanji spelling; the character 弦 refers to string instruments, fitting the shamisen-playing sense.
Variant spelling using 絃, also meaning string; equally rare.
Compound of 弦 (string, especially of a shamisen) and 妓 (female entertainer). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely emerged in the Edo period to describe shamisen-playing entertainers.