ancient Greek harp-like instrument
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Lyre Definition from Arts & Humanities Dictionaries & Glossaries
A stringed instrument used as design on Empire pieces.
Lyre Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
(n.)
One of the constellations; Lyra. See Lyra.
One of the constellations; Lyra. See Lyra.
(n.)
A stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. AboutA stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry.
lyre
\lyre\ (?), n. [oe. lire, of. lyre, l. lyra, gr. &?;. cf. lyra.]
1. (mus.) a stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry.
note: the lyre was the peculiar instrument of apollo, the tutelary god of music and poetry. it gave name to the species of verse called lyric, to which it originally furnished an accompaniment
2. (astron.) one of the constellations; lyra. see lyra.
lyre
bat (zo?l.), a small bat (megaderma lyra), inhabiting india and ceylon. it is remarkable for the enormous size and curious shape of the nose membrane and ears.
lyre
turtle (zo?l.), the leatherback.
similar words(8)
aeolian lyre
lyre snake
lyre turtle
lyre-tail
aeligolian lyre
lyre bat
lyre bird
lyre pheasant
One of the most ancient of stringed instruments of the harp class.
Lyre, (n.)
An ancient instrument of torture. The word is now used in a figurative sense to denote the poetic faculty, as in the following fiery lines of our great poet, Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
I sit astride Parnassus with my lyre,
And pick with care the disobedient wire.
That stupid shepherd lolling on his crook
With deaf attention scarcely deigns to look.
I bide my time, and it shall come at length,
When, with a Titan's energy and strength,
I'll grab a fistful of the strings, and O,
The word shall suffer when I let them go!
Farquharson Harris
The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce, 1911 (About)An ancient instrument of torture. The word is now used in a figurative sense to denote the poetic faculty, as in the following fiery lines of our great poet, Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
I sit astride Parnassus with my lyre,
And pick with care the disobedient wire.
That stupid shepherd lolling on his crook
With deaf attention scarcely deigns to look.
I bide my time, and it shall come at length,
When, with a Titan's energy and strength,
I'll grab a fistful of the strings, and O,
The word shall suffer when I let them go!
Farquharson Harris
rely
Noun
1. a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment
(hypernym) harp
(hyponym) trigon
Lyre Definition from Social Science Dictionaries & Glossaries
To dream of listening to the music of a lyre, foretells chaste pleasures and congenial companionship. Business will run smoothly.
For a young woman to dream of playing on one, denotes that she will enjoy the undivided affection of a worthy man.
Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, or "What's in a dream": a scientific and practical exposition; By Gustavus Hindman, 1910. For the open domain e-text see: Guttenberg ProjectFor a young woman to dream of playing on one, denotes that she will enjoy the undivided affection of a worthy man.
Lyre Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
The lyre (Greek: λύρα) is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" (lyra) and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script. The earliest picture of a lyre with seven strings appears in the famous sarcophagus of Hagia Triada (a Minoan settlement in Crete). The sarcophagus was used during the Mycenaean occupation of Crete (1400 BC). The recitations of the Ancient Greeks were accompanied by lyre playing. The lyre of classical antiquity was ordinarily played by being strummed with a plectrum, like a guitar or a zither, rather than being plucked, like a harp. The fingers of the free hand silenced the unwanted strings in the chord. The lyre is similar in appearance to a small harp but with distinct differences.
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