lyre
/ˈlaɪ.ɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.61 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, connecting the body to the yoke.
noun
An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, connecting the body to the yoke.
noun
A lyre-shaped sheet music holder that attaches to a wind instrument when a music stand is impractical.
verb
to play the lyre
Example Sentences
Etymology
From Middle English lire (13th c.), from Old French lire, from Latin lyra, from Ancient Greek λύρᾱ (lúrā, “lyre, a stringed instrument with a sounding-board formed of the shell of a tortoise”). Doublet of lira, lyra, and Lyra.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈlaɪ.ɚ/
- British English: /ˈlaɪ.ə/