lute-string
Definition
- Noun:
- A string of a lute: "lute-string" refers to a cord or thread made of gut, silk, or synthetic material, stretched across a lute to produce musical notes when plucked.
- Historical context: In historical usage, "lute-string" often denotes the specific material (e.g., catgut) used for the strings of a lute, a Renaissance and Baroque stringed instrument.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The musician replaced a broken lute-string before the concert. (A single string on the lute.)
- He carefully tuned each lute-string to achieve the correct pitch. (Each string on the instrument.)
Advanced Usage
- "to tighten a lute-string": to adjust the tension of a lute's string for proper tuning.
- The lutenist tightened the lute-string until it produced a clear note. (The performer adjusted the string.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lute (n): a plucked stringed instrument with a pear-shaped body and a fretted neck, popular in medieval and Renaissance music.
- She learned to play the lute in her music class. (The instrument itself.)
- String (n): a thin piece of thread, wire, or gut used on musical instruments.
- The violin string broke during the performance. (A general term for instrument strings.)
Synonyms
- Gut string: a string made from animal intestines, commonly used for historical instruments.
- He preferred gut strings for their warm tone. (A specific type of lute-string.)
- Catgut: a material historically used for lute-strings, despite not being from cats.
- The lute-string was made of catgut. (The raw material.)
Related Idioms
- There are no common idioms directly featuring "lute-string" as a standalone term. However, the phrase "to play the lute" is used metaphorically in older literature to mean engaging in refined or artistic activity.
- He was more interested in playing the lute than in worldly affairs. (Pursuing artistic pleasures.)