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harp

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Harp

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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From Middle English harpe, from Old English hearpe (“harp”), from Proto-West Germanic *harpā, from Proto-Germanic *harpǭ (“harp”). Cognate with Scots hairp (“harp”), West Frisian harpe, harp (“harp”), Low German Harp (“harp”), Dutch harp (“harp”), German Harfe (“harp”), Danish harpe (“harp”), Swedish harpa (“harp”).

A woman playing a harp.
Lamp harp with fluorescent bulb

Pronunciation

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Noun

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harp (plural harps)

  2. (music) A musical instrument consisting of a body and a curved neck, strung with strings of varying length that are stroked or plucked with the fingers and are vertical to the soundboard when viewed from the end of the body
    • 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh], “In the Fleete Made by Me William Cornishe otherwise Called Nyshwhete Chapelman with the Most Famose and Noble Kyng Henry the VII. His Reygne the XIX. Yere the Moneth of July. A Treatise betwene Trouth, and Information.”, in John Skelton, edited by J[ohn] S[tow], Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate, Imprinted at London: In Fletestreate, neare vnto Saint Dunstones Churche by Thomas Marshe, →OCLC; republished as Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate to King Henry the VIIIth, London: Printed for C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, 1736, →OCLC, page 290:
      The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunying of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge
    1. Any instrument of the same musicological type.
  3. (music, colloquial) Any musical instrument.
    1. A harmonica.
    2. A struck tuned percussion instrument of metal or wooden bars, especially as a function of a theatre organ.
  4. (Scotland) A grain sieve.
  5. The component of a lamp to which one attaches the lampshade, consisting of a lightweight frame that usually surrounds the bulb with an attachment at the top for the finial.
    • 1960, School Shop, volume 20, page 36:
      Contains charts and instructions for wiring. Shows sockets, wire, harps, glass chimneys and globes, shade holders, bases, finials, and hundreds of items necessary in the building of lamps.
    • 1991, Kalton C. Lahue, Cheryl Smith, Interior Lighting, page 104:
      Both types of harp have a swiveling shade holder at the top. The threaded stud on the swivel accepts the finial.
  6. Ellipsis of harp seal.
    • 2006, John Gimlette, Theatre of Fish: Travels Through Newfoundland and Labrador, page 225:
      More likely, it was the prospect of meat. Curwen was by now craving a juicy roast – 'even seal chop' – and was always loosing off at tickleasses and harps.

Synonyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Verb

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harp (third-person singular simple present harps, present participle harping, simple past and past participle harped)

  1. (derogatory, usually with on) To repeatedly mention a subject, especially so as to nag or complain.
    (US): Why do you harp on a single small mistake?
    (UK): Why do you harp on about a single small mistake?
    • 1920, Cicero, translated by Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh, The Letters of Cicero: The Whole Extant Correspondence in Chronological Order, volume 1 (hardcover), London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., page 9:
      On his part, however, he keeps harping on that arbitration case of his, and the other matters which I knew very well before you left Rome were causing him offence.
  2. (transitive) To play on (a harp or similar instrument).
  3. (transitive) To play (a tune) on the harp.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To develop or give expression to by skill and art; to sound forth as from a harp; to hit upon.

Synonyms

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Translations

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References

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Anagrams

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Dutch

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Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology

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From Middle Dutch harpe, from Old Dutch *harpa, from Proto-Germanic *harpǭ.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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harp f or m (plural harpen, diminutive harpje n)

  1. harp

Turkish

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Semitic *ḥarb-
Arabic حَرْب (ḥarb)bor.
Ottoman Turkish حرب (harb)
Turkish harp

    Inherited from Ottoman Turkish حرب (harb), borrowed from Arabic حَرْب (ḥarb), from Proto-Semitic *ḥarb-.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    harp (definite accusative harbi, plural harpler)

    1. (dated) war
      Synonyms: savaş, cenk
      • 1941 June 23, Yenigün‎[1]:
        Alman-Rus harbinde bitaraf kalacağız
        We will remain neutral in the German-Russian war

    Derived terms

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    Turkmen

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    Other scripts
    Latin harp
    Cyrillic харп
    Arabic حرف

    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Arabic حَرْف (ḥarf).

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˈxɑɾp/, [ˈχɑ̝ɾ̊p]

    Noun

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    harp (definite accusative harpy, plural harplar)

    1. letter (of an alphabet)

    Declension

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    Declension of harp
    singular plural
    nominative harp harplar
    accusative harpy harplary
    genitive harpyň harplaryň
    dative harpa harplara
    locative harpda harplarda
    ablative harpdan harplardan

    Further reading

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    • “harp” in Enedilim.com
    • “harp” in Webonary.org
    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=harp&oldid=92446952"