Wiktionary

harp

See also: Harp

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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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)

  1. (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.
  2. (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.
  3. (Scotland) A grain sieve.
  4. 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.
  5. Short for 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.
    Why do you harp on a single small mistake?
    (US)
    Why do you harp on about a single small mistake?
    (UK)
  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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From Ottoman Turkish حرب (harb), borrowed from Arabic حَرْب (ḥarb).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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harp (definite accusative harbi, plural harpler)

  1. (archaic) war
    Synonym: savaş
    • 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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Etymology

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Borrowed from Arabic حَرْف (ḥarf).

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
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