éd

úd is a transliteration that may refer to several terms in different languages, but it is most commonly associated with the oud (also spelled ud), a pear-shaped plucked string instrument central to Middle Eastern and North African music.

The oud is one of the oldest known lute-type instruments. It has a short neck, a rounded body, and typically five or six courses of strings, with a single bass string often paired with higher-pitched strings. It is traditionally played with a plectrum (risha) or by fingerpicking, and its repertoire spans traditional, folk, and classical genres. The instrument is a foundational element in ensembles across the Arab world and has significant cultural presence in Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Greece, and North Africa.

Etymology and transliteration of the name vary by language. The term oud (or ud) is generally linked to the Arabic al-ʿūd, commonly cited as meaning “the wood” or “the wooden instrument,” though exact origins are debated and transliterations differ in different linguistic contexts.

Other uses of the termúd may appear as a surname or given name in some cultures, or as part of place names or organizational names in multilingual contexts. In most references, however, úd is encountered as a variant spelling or transliteration related to the musical instrument oud.