lute

CEFRB2

/l(j)uːt/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    An old musical instrument with a rounded body and strings.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight.

Examples

  • But what are you saying? A lute isn't a guitar!

  • Tom practiced playing the harp every odd numbered evening and the lute on even ones.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4

Also pronounced

  • /lɪu̯t/
  • /lut/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To play on a lute, or as if on a lute.

  2. A fretted stringed instrument, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.

  3. A packing ring, as of rubber, for fruit jars, etc.

More examples

In context

  • 'Welcome, O lute player,' said he. 'Where do you come from?'

  • Knaves are men / That lute and flute fantastic tenderness.

  • in the air , her new voice luting soft

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The musician carefully tuned the strings of her blank, which had a pear-shaped wooden body.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle French lut (modern luth), from Old French leüt, probably from Old Occitan laüt, from Arabic اَلْعُود (al-ʕūd, “wood”) (probably representing an Andalusian Arabic or North African pronunciation). Doublet of oud, lavta, and laouto.