Definition

Noun: 1. An ancient stringed musical instrument: A psaltery is a historical stringed instrument, typically played by plucking its strings. It is characterized by having a flat, often trapezoidal (or sometimes rectangular or wing-shaped) soundboard or resonating box over which the strings are stretched. It is part of the family of instruments that includes the lyre and zither.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The minstrel played a gentle melody on the psaltery.
  • In medieval illustrations, angels are often depicted holding a psaltery.
  • The psaltery was a precursor to later keyboard instruments like the harpsichord.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, musicological, or archaeological contexts to describe instruments from antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance.
• It is often mentioned in translations of ancient religious texts, such as the Bible (e.g., the Book of Psalms).

Variants and Related Words

• Psalter (noun): While distinct, this word is closely related. It primarily refers to a volume containing the Book of Psalms or a book of devotional texts. The shared root reflects the instrument's historical use in accompanying the singing of psalms.

Synonyms

• Zither (noun): A modern class of stringed instruments with a flat soundboard, played by plucking or strumming. The psaltery is considered an ancient type of zither.
• Dulcimer (noun): Another stringed instrument with strings stretched over a soundboard, typically played by striking the strings with small hammers. It is a different but related instrument in the zither family.

Notes on Meaning

• The psaltery is distinguished from a lyre by its shape; a lyre typically has strings attached to a yoke (two arms and a crossbar) over a soundbox, whereas a psaltery's strings run directly across its soundboard.
• It is distinguished from a harp by its structure; a harp's strings emerge perpendicularly from its soundboard, while a psaltery's strings run parallel to its soundboard.

Noun

1. an ancient stringed instrument similar to the lyre or zither but having a trapezoidal sounding board under the strings