harp

harp
    n 1: a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a
         sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings
         stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked
         with the fingers
    2: a pair of curved vertical supports for a lampshade
    3: a small rectangular free-reed instrument having a row of free
       reeds set back in air holes and played by blowing into the
       desired hole [syn: {harmonica}, {mouth organ}, {harp}, {mouth
       harp}]
    v 1: come back to; "Don't dwell on the past"; "She is always
         harping on the same old things" [syn: {harp}, {dwell}]
    2: play the harp; "She harped the Saint-Saens beautifully"
    

Harp \Harp\ (h[aum]rp), n. [OE. harpe, AS. hearpe; akin to D.
   harp, G. harfe, OHG. harpha, Dan. harpe, Icel. & Sw. harpa.]
   1. A musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame
      furnished with strings and sometimes with pedals, held
      upright, and played with the fingers.
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   2. (Astron.) A constellation; Lyra, or the Lyre.
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   3. A grain sieve. [Scot.]
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   {Aeolian harp}. See under {Aeolian}.
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   {Harp seal} (Zool.), an arctic seal ({Phoca Gr[oe]nlandica}).
      The adult males have a light-colored body, with a
      harp-shaped mark of black on each side, and the face and
      throat black. Called also {saddler}, and {saddleback}. The
      immature ones are called {bluesides}; their fur is white,
      and they are killed and skinned to harvest the fur.

   {Harp shell} (Zool.), a beautiful marine gastropod shell of
      the genus {Harpa}, of several species, found in tropical
      seas. See {Harpa}.
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Harp \Harp\, v. t.
   To play on, as a harp; to play (a tune) on the harp; to
   develop or give expression to by skill and art; to sound
   forth as from a harp; to hit upon.
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         Thou 'st harped my fear aright.          --Shak.
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Harp \Harp\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Harped} (h[aum]rpt) p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Harping}.] [AS. hearpian. See {Harp}, n.]
   1. To play on the harp.
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            I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their
            harps.                                --Rev. xiv. 2.
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   2. To dwell on or recur to a subject tediously or
      monotonously in speaking or in writing; to refer to
      something repeatedly or continually; -- usually with on or
      upon. "Harpings upon old themes." --W. Irving.
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            Harping on what I am,
            Not what he knew I was.               --Shak.
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   {To harp on one string}, to dwell upon one subject with
      disagreeable or wearisome persistence. [Colloq.]
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Harp
(Heb. kinnor), the national instrument of the Hebrews. It was
invented by Jubal (Gen. 4:21). Some think the word _kinnor_
denotes the whole class of stringed instruments. It was used as
an accompaniment to songs of cheerfulness as well as of praise
to God (Gen. 31:27; 1 Sam. 16:23; 2 Chr. 20:28; Ps. 33:2;
137:2).

  In Solomon's time harps were made of almug-trees (1 Kings
10:11, 12). In 1 Chr. 15:21 mention is made of "harps on the
Sheminith;" Revised Version, "harps set to the Sheminith;"
better perhaps "harps of eight strings." The soothing effect of
the music of the harp is referred to 1 Sam. 16:16, 23; 18:10;
19:9. The church in heaven is represented as celebrating the
triumphs of the Redeemer "harping with their harps" (Rev. 14:2).
    

19 Moby Thesaurus words for "harp":
      French harp, Irish harp, aeolian harp, cithara, clarsach, dulcimer,
      harmonica, harmonicon, heptachord, hexachord, kazoo, langspiel,
      lyre, mouth bow, mouth harp, mouth organ, polychord, symphonia,
      zither