psaltery

== English == === Alternative forms === psaltry sawtry (obsolete) === Etymology === A learned alteration of Middle English sauterie, sautrie (rarely psautry), from Old French psalterie, from Latin psaltērium, from Ancient Greek ψαλτήριον (psaltḗrion, “stringed instrument, psaltery, harp”), from ψάλλω (psállō, “to touch sharply, to pluck, to pull, to twitch” and in the case of the strings of musical instruments, “to play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and not with the plectron”). Doublet of psalter, psalterion, and psalterium. Cognate of psalm and psalmody. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɒl.tə.ɹi/, /ˈsɒl.tɹi/, /ˈsɔːl-/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɔl.tə.ɹi/, /ˈsɑl.tə.ɹi/ === Noun === psaltery (plural psalteries) (music) A zither-like musical instrument consisting of a soundboard with multiple strings, played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. Synonyms: psalterion, psalterium, (archaic or obsolete) psalter ==== Usage notes ==== In the King James Version of the Bible, "psaltery" is used as a translation for certain words whose referent isn't known: the Hebrew כְּלִי (kli) and נֵבֶל (nével), and the Aramaic פְּסַנְתֵּרִין (psanterín). ==== Derived terms ==== bowed psaltery psalterist, psalteryist ==== Related terms ==== psalm ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== Appendix:Glossary of chordophones === Anagrams === Spratley, Tarpleys, plastery, pterylas