psaltery

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

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

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Psaltery \Psal"ter*y\, n.; pl. {Psalteries}. [OE. sautrie, OF.
   psalterie, F. psalt['e]rion, L. psalterium psaltery, psalter,
   from Gr. ?, fr. ?. See {Psalm}, {Psalter}.]
   A stringed instrument of music used by the Hebrews, the form
   of which is not known.
   [1913 Webster]

         Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto him with the
         psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. --Ps.
                                                  xxxiii. 2.
   [1913 Webster]

from Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Psaltery
a musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a
harp with twelve strings. The Hebrew word nebhel, so rendered,
is translated "viol" in Isa. 5:12 (R.V., "lute"); 14:11. In Dan.
3:5, 7, 10, 15, the word thus rendered is Chaldaic, pesanterin,
which is supposed to be a word of Greek origin denoting an
instrument of the harp kind.

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