: a plucked stringed instrument consisting of a resonator, an arched or angled neck that may be supported by a post, and strings of graded length that are strung between the soundboard and the neck
Verb
there were so many good things about the stage production that it seems churlish to harp on a couple of minor missteps
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Pepper-ish splendor: orchestral strings, psychedelic guitar, Dixieland brass, harp, harpsichord, flutes.—Will Hermes, New York Times, 4 June 2024 This year, a harp quartet, Austrian children’s choir (also participating in Grant Park’s Mahler 8 season finale) and Mozart’s chamber epic Gran Partita stick out among the spread.—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2024
Verb
As for any naysayers and critics still harping about manhole covers and temporary traffic disruptions, Formula 1 should just take a page from the Swiftie playbook and shake it off.—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2023 DeSantis has slipped to third place in some individual polls, a development that Trump and his allies have harped upon.—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 21 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for harp
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English harpe, going back to Old English hearpe (feminine weak noun), going back to Germanic *harpōn- (whence also Old Saxon harpa "harp, rack, gridiron for torture" Old High German harpha, harfa "harp, gridiron for torture," Old Norse harpa "harp"), of uncertain origin
Note:
As a source for Middle English harpe compare also Anglo-French and continental Old French harpe, borrowed from Germanic. The sixth-century poet and hymnodist Venantius Fortunatus, resident at the Merovingian court, attests the word in Latin: "Romanusque lyra plaudat tibi, barbarus harpa …" ("Let the Roman applaud you with the lyre, the barbarian with the harp …").
Verb
Middle English harpen "to play a harp, pluck" (also harpen on "repeat [something] constantly"), going back to Old English hearpian "to play the harp," derivative of hearpeharp entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of harp was
before the 12th century
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