psaltery
- noun
- /ˈsɔltəri/
- Archaic
:
salterio
- Some of the more popular string instruments were guitars, violins, psalteries, vihuelas, mandolins, and contrabass.
Examples
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In ancient times, musicians often accompanied their songs with a psaltery, creating beautiful melodies that resonated in temples.
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"Praise him with the psaltery and harp."
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(Similar to Finnish and Estonian kanatele, the sankvyltap resembles the old Russian psaltery.
Academic text (1993) -
The psaltery is an ancient instrument that was played by plucking its strings, much like a harp or a zither.
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At the festival, the group performed traditional music using a psaltery alongside drums and flutes.
Synonyms
6
8.9
A small U-shaped musical instrument with strings used in ancient Greece to play music
1
9.9
A Chinese string instrument with a pear-shaped body that you play by plucking the strings
A stringed instrument like a small harp used in ancient Israel
An ancient Greek instrument with strings played by professional musicians
An ancient Greek string instrument like a small harp that trained musicians play
A small string instrument like a guitar that you play by plucking the strings
An old 16th-century string instrument like a guitar with a pear-shaped body and wire strings
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Psaltery comes from the Greek word psaltērion, from psallein which means 'to pluck', and it is related to psalm ('song'). So a psaltery is literally a plucked instrument for songs, which explains its name.