lyre

From Ancient Greek λύρα (lúra, “lyre, a stringed instrument with a sounding-board formed of the shell of a tortoise”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪ.ə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪ.ɚ/, /laɪɹ/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(r)
• Homophones: liar, lier

lyre (plural lyres)

1. (music) 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.
   1. Any instrument of the same musicological classification; any yoke lute.
2. A lyre-shaped sheet music holder that attaches to a wind instrument when a music stand is impractical.
3. (obsolete) A composer of lyric poetry.

• Lyra
• lyrebird
• lyrical

• (a general class of instruments): yoke lute

• 2012. Kisir and Tanbura. Dahab Khalil and Artur Simon. Pg. 96.
• 2007. Origins and Development of Musical Instruments. Jeremy Montagu. Pg. 128.

• lyre in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• lyre in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

• lire

• Ryle, rely

• IPA^(key): /liʁ/

• Audio

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lyre f (plural lyres)

1. lyre