ETYM Old Eng. lire, Old Fren. lyre, Latin lyra, Greek. Related to Lyra.
(Homonym: liar).
A harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment.
Stringed instrument of great antiquity. It consists of a soundbox with two curved arms extended upward to a crosspiece to which four to ten strings are attached. It is played with a plectrum or the fingers. It originated in Asia, and was widespread in ancient Greece and Egypt.
Tuned to a given mode, it provided a pitch guide for vocal melody and embellishment.
(Astronomie) Lyra, Sternbild des nördl. Himmels; Hauptstern: Wega.