Harp — Defs

01 n. A musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame furnished with strings and sometimes with pedals, held upright, and played with the f…

1.
A musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame furnished with strings and sometimes with pedals, held upright, and played with the fingers.
2.
A constellation; Lyra, or the Lyre.(Astron.)
3.
A grain sieve.[Scot.]

Phrases & compounds

Aeolian harp — See under Aeolian.

Harp seal — 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 — a beautiful marine gastropod shell of the genus Harpa, of several species, found in tropical seas. See Harpa.

02 v. i. To play on the harp.

imp. & p. p. Harped; p. pr. & vb. n. Harping

1.
To play on the harp.
“I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps.” — Rev. xiv. 2.
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.
“Harping on what I am, Not what he knew I was.” — Shak.

Phrases & compounds

To harp on one string — to dwell upon one subject with disagreeable or wearisome persistence.

03 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 h…

1.
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.
“Thou 'st harped my fear aright.” — Shak.