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lyre

 [lahyuhr]   Example Sentences Origin

lyre

   [lahyuhr]
noun
1.
a musical instrument of ancient Greece consisting of a soundbox made typically from a turtle shell, with two curved arms connected by a yoke from which strings are stretched to the body, used especially to accompany singing and recitation.
2.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Lyra.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English lire < Latin lyra < Greek lýra

Can be confused: liar, lyre.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Lyre is always a great word to know.
So is luminosity. Does it mean:
the brightness of a star in comparison with that of the sun: the luminosity of Sirius is expressed as 23 and indicates intrinsic brightness 23 times greater than the sun
a zodiacal constellation between Aries and Aquarius also called the Fishes
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Example Sentences
  • In his first solo, he stared at his lyre with curiosity, as if he were uncertain how this peculiar instrument worked.
  • The buying of a lyre with cash wouldn't concern me so much.
  • Aficionados compare their shape to the lyre and even to the scorpion's arched stinger.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
lyre (laɪə)
 
—n
1.  an ancient Greek stringed instrument consisting of a resonating tortoise shell to which a crossbar was attached by two projecting arms. It was plucked with a plectrum and used for accompanying songs
2.  any ancient instrument of similar design
3.  a medieval bowed instrument of the violin family
 
[C13: via Old French from Latin lyra, from Greek lura]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

lyre
c.1200, from O.Fr. lire, from L. lyra, from Gk. lyra, a foreign word of uncertain origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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