The 'ūd is a short-necked lute found throughout the Middle East, believed to have origins similar to the Chinese pipa. Its name (Arabic for "twig" and by inference "wood") goes allegedly back to the time when the skin covering the instrument's face was replaced with wood. The basic design of the 'ud was developed by the 8th century A.D. Brought by the Arabs to Spain, the instrument gave both its name (al ud laud lute) and form to the European lute.
The modern 'ūd has a large, wooden, pear-shaped body, and a vaulted back with 16 to 21 ribs. It has five double courses of nylon or gut, and metal-wound silk strings, tuned:  G₂ A₂, D₃, G₃, C₄. A sixth single course is often added tuned C₂ or D₂. Intricate visual ornamentation is typical of the 'ūd, especially in the rosette design and the wood inlay.
The strings are plucked or strummed with a quill plectrum (traditionally an eagle's feather). A new technique introduced at the end of the 19th century includes plucking the strings with the fingers of the neck-placed hand. The short, fretless neck facilitates both the production of microtonal intervals and the creation of vibrato and portamento. Thanks to its warm timbre, low tessitura, and microtonal flexibility, the 'ūd is known as amīr al-tarab or "the prince of enchantment." Today the 'ūd is the favored tool of composers and theorists, and a basic member of the traditional ensemble.