psaltery
Americannoun
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psalteries
plural
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an ancient musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings which are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum.
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(initial capital letter) the Psalter.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of psaltery
1300–50; Middle English sautrie < Middle French sauter(i)e < Late Latin psaltērium; see Psalter
Vocabulary lists containing psaltery
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.
See Examples For:
They cite Joachim of Fiore, a 12th-century theologian, who conceived of the Trinity as a three-sided psaltery with 10 strings and a central sound hole representing God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
She strummed on a psaltery which looks like a large, shallow cigar-box with strings.
From Time Magazine Archive
But the demand for psaltery players and country fiddlers was not exactly booming.
From Time Magazine Archive
The action is accompanied by music suggestive of everything from Gregorian chant to folk song, played on reproductions of such authentic medieval instruments as a psaltery, a rebec, a minstrel's harp.
From Time Magazine Archive
The high places resounded with hymns of joy; the Seraphim celebrated on harp and psaltery Sabaoth, God of Thunder.
From Anatole France The Revolt of the Angels by Anatole France
He brought a bit of everything with him: lutes, gambas, hurdy-gurdies, psalteries, fancy carved music stands and even a serpent, an old wind instrument that looks like its namesake.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2011
Once, he had carried Robin to another part of the monastery, and showed him where records of everyday living were written and poems and psalteries copied.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
They go to actors' schools with sambucas and psalteries.
From The Gracchi Marius and Sulla Epochs of Ancient History by A.H. Beesley
One hundred and twenty of these were trumpeters, the rest had cymbals, harps, and psalteries.
From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 01 by John Rudd
The noise of drums, fifes, psalteries, harps, and sackbuts was heard.
From Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume by
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