Harp

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Harp, n. [OE. harpe, AS. hearpe; akin to D. harp, G. harfe, OHG. harpha, Dan. harpe, Icel. & Sw. harpa.].

•  A musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame furnished with strings and sometimes with pedals, held upright, and played with the fingers.  [1913 Webster]
•  A constellation; Lyra, or the Lyre.  [1913 Webster]
•  A grain sieve.  [1913 Webster]

Æolian harp. See under Æolian.

Harp seal (Zoöl.), an arctic seal (Phoca Grœnlandica). 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 (Zoöl.), a beautiful marine gastropod shell of the genus Harpa, of several species, found in tropical seas. See Harpa.

Harp, v. i. [AS. hearpian. See Harp, n.].

•  To play on the harp.  [1913 Webster]

  "I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  W. Irving.  [1913 Webster]

  "Harping on what I am,
  Not what he knew I was."  [1913 Webster]

To harp on one string, to dwell upon one subject with disagreeable or wearisome persistence. [Colloq.]

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.  [1913 Webster]
"Thou 'st harped my fear aright."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Harp, n. & v.
--n. a large upright roughly triangular musical instrument consisting of a frame housing a graduated series of vertical strings, played by plucking with the fingers.
--v.intr.
1 (foll. by on, on about) talk repeatedly and tediously about.
2 play on a harp.

Idiom

harp-seal a Greenland seal, Phoca groenlandica, with a harp-shaped dark mark on its back.

Derivative

harper n. harpist n.

Etymology

OE hearpe f. Gmc

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

Harp

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.