lyre
Americannoun
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a musical instrument of ancient Greece consisting of a soundbox made typically from a turtle shell, with two curved arms connected by a yoke from which strings are stretched to the body, used especially to accompany singing and recitation.
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Astronomy. Lyre, the constellation Lyra.
noun
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an ancient Greek stringed instrument consisting of a resonating tortoise shell to which a crossbar was attached by two projecting arms. It was plucked with a plectrum and used for accompanying songs
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any ancient instrument of similar design
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a medieval bowed instrument of the violin family
Etymology
Origin of lyre
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English lire, from Latin lyra, from Greek lýra
Explanation
A lyre is a stringed musical instrument that looks like a very small harp. Ancient Greek art includes many pictures of people playing the lyre. In Greek mythology, the god Hermes created the first lyre from the entrails of Apollo's cows. Rather than being angry about the stolen cattle, when Apollo heard the lyre's music, he was enchanted. While musicians today play many versions of lyre-like instruments, the lyre itself is thought of as an antique, mostly of historical interest. While experts know that the root lyra is a Greek word, its origin is unknown.
Vocabulary lists containing lyre
Music to My Ears: Instrumental Vocab
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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"The Iliad" by Homer, Book 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And up her left arm is the image of a Matisse cutout called The Lyre, depicting the stringed instrument that symbolizes Orpheus.
From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2019
Through them I met Andy Lowings, who organized the Gold Lyre of Ur Project, which built a replica of a 4,550-year-old Mesopotamian gold lyre.
From Slate • Sep. 28, 2014
Populations are estimated by counting spawning nests, or redds — all of which, for Beardslee trout, are found in the gravel of a single, shallow area at the Lyre River outlet.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2014
Connolly, who won the "Silver Lyre" for best solo singer, showed "exceptional musicianship and consistency over an increasingly wide range of styles", the RPS said in a statement.
From Reuters • May 14, 2013
And if you take those three stars of Lyre and forget ’bout other stars, you get .
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
