lyre
[ lahyuhr ]
/ laɪər /
Save This Word!
noun
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.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. the constellation Lyra.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of lyre
1175–1225; Middle English lire<Latin lyra<Greek lýra
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lyre
liar, lyreWords nearby lyre
lyotropic, lypressin, Lyra, lyrate, lyra viol, lyre, lyre back, lyrebird, lyre-form sofa, lyre snake, lyric
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for lyre
British Dictionary definitions for lyre
lyre
/ (laɪə) /
noun
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
any ancient instrument of similar design
a medieval bowed instrument of the violin family
Word Origin for lyre
C13: via Old French from Latin lyra, from Greek lura
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012