lyre

noun

\ ˈlī(-ə)r

Definition of lyre

1 : a stringed instrument of the harp class having an approximately U-shaped frame and used by the ancient Greeks especially to accompany song and recitation (see recitation sense 2)

2 : a small clip typically resembling a lyre that is use for holding sheet music and attaches to a musical instrument (such as a trombone)

3 capitalized : lyra

Examples of lyre in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This collection features eight killer tracks from the 70s and 80s, with Hassan accompanying his own soulful singing on amplified tambour-a five-string lyre-over percolating Daleeb rhythms from northern Sudan. — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, "Drummer and composer Bill Harris on a Chicago iconoclast who can make an album feel like an epic film," 13 June 2018 In the painting, Apollo is holding a lyre while Venus, the goddess of love, is portrayed as an artist painting a landscape, her fleshy backside exposed. — Laura M. Holson, New York Times, "A Lost Painting Is Rediscovered. Have You Checked Your Closets Lately?," 5 Apr. 2018 Apollo is holding a lyre and Venus is naked, painting on a canvas. — Mercedes Leguizamon And Brandon Griggs, CNN, "A forgotten painting in an Iowa closet turns out to be a 16th-century masterwork worth millions," 2 Apr. 2018 Having profitably played his lyre in Weinstein’s court for a quarter of a century, the director Quentin Tarantino kept his counsel for a couple of weeks before confirming that, yes, this really is how things are done. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "This Hollywood Scandal Is Different," 24 Oct. 2017 There’s no evidence of this maniacal lyre-playing, but historians today still debate whether Nero orchestrated the disaster. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, "The Normalization of Conspiracy Culture," 17 June 2017 The scrolled feet, together with the lyre and wreath decoration, suggest to me that this lamp embraces the Arts and Crafts ideal while not quite abandoning the decorative elements of earlier pieces. — Jane Alexiadis, The Mercury News, "What’s It Worth?: Lamp from the ‘Prairie School’ of design," 19 Apr. 2017 Other paintings bring to mind a lyre and a yoke or a helmet and a trident. — Roberta Smith, Karen Rosenberg, Will Heinrich And Martha Schwendener, New York Times, "What to See in New York City Galleries This Week," 29 Dec. 2016 In Greek mythology, Orpheus, who reclaimed his dearest Eurydice from the underworld, played her a love song on his lyre, causing an elm grove to grow on the spot. — National Geographic, "See 10 Remarkable Trees, Each With a Special Story to Tell," 22 Apr. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lyre.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.